Unity In Diversity
by Nifty Niffler
Summary: Sequel to The Beast Within. You should read that first. This picks up where TBW leaves off. Harry and Ginny prepare themselves for what the future holds, meeting new friends and new rivals, and enjoying themselves until a new threat sends danger Harry's way once again.
1. The Beginning of Something Different

**_Change isn't the end... It's an unfolding, the beginning of something different._ _  
_ _―_ _Jane Kirkpatrick_ _,_ _A Sweetness to the Soul_**

"Ginny! Time to get up and have some breakfast!"

Ginny's eyes popped open. As she looked around the room, she smiled. She was home, in her own room, in her own bed, even though there was still a week of school remaining. While she was sad to leave her family and the few friends she had, she couldn't deny the excitement that coursed through her at the thought of the adventure that awaited her in just over two months' time. She and Harry weren't returning to Hogwarts next year. In fact, they weren't even going to be anywhere in the United Kingdom. They were leaving for America the day after her birthday, but Ginny still didn't know exactly where. Sirius wouldn't say.

"Are you up?! I'm not hearing anything! I'd really like to go before it gets too hot!"

That's right! She and her mum were walking down to the village this morning! Her mum needed more knitting supplies for this year's jumpers. Ginny hoped she'd be able to talk her mum into letting her wander some of the shops. Harry's birthday was next month, and she had no idea what to get him. Jumping out of bed, Ginny threw on her dressing gown and dashed downstairs. It seemed a bit odd to be home from school and to have the house be so quiet.

"Oh, there you are. I was about to come up there and haul you out of bed."

Ginny sat at the table, pulling the full plate of eggs, toast, and bacon towards her. "Mum, Harry's birthday is next month, and I need to find something for him. May I please wander some of the shops while you're getting your supplies?"

"Oh, I don't know, Ginny," Molly said, obviously not comfortable with the idea. "Something could happen."

"Mum, it's a Muggle village. Nothing's going to happen. I _have_ to find something for Harry. Please?"

"You don't _have_ to get him anything. You could make him something. I'm sure he'd like that just as much."

Ginny stifled the urge to roll her eyes. That would be a surefire way to _not_ get what she wanted. "Mum, I made him something for Valentine's Day. This time I'd like to actually buy him something. Please, Mum? You know he's going to get me something for _my_ birthday."

"Ginevra! I did not raise you to expect things from others!"

"It's not like that. I don't expect anything, but I know Harry. He gave me a Christmas present simply for being his friend, and gave you and Dad presents for letting him stay here. Doesn't that tell you he's the type of person to get gifts for birthdays?" Seeing her mum was almost convinced, Ginny threw out another example of Harry's propensity towards generosity. "The first Hogsmeade weekend, I practically had to shove Harry out of the castle. He didn't want to go because I couldn't go. I gave him some of my pocket change and asked him to get me a couple of sweets. He came back with what I asked for and a few others, just for me."

Ginny's mum sighed in resignation, then smiled. "Alright, Ginny, you can look around the shops. I'm not going to have much money for you, though."

"That's okay, Mum. I've been saving all my Muggle money. I don't have much, but I should be able to find something. Thanks, Mum."

"Well, it's like you pointed out, Harry is very generous—almost to a fault. I suppose it wouldn't be right for him to get you things and not return the favor." Molly looked sternly at her daughter. "As long as you're not asking for things, or hinting for them."

"Of course not, Mum."

"Alright, then. Finish your breakfast and get changed. The longer we wait, the hotter it's going to be."

"Yes, Mum."

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The village of Ottery St. Catchpole wasn't big by any stretch of the imagination. In Ginny's estimation, it was comparable to Hogsmeade, perhaps a little bigger, definitely with more shops. After getting the little bit of money her mum could spare, Ginny wandered the shop windows, hoping something would catch her eye. Ginny quickly bypassed a book shop and a stationery shop. Harry didn't mind reading, he just wasn't an avid reader like Hermione, and he'd have no real use for stationery. The next shop she came to was a music store. Not knowing what kind of music he'd actually like, Ginny decided to pass on that, as well.

The shop after that looked promising. There were little statuettes in the window, along with displays of leather crafts and jewelry. Figuring a once-over wouldn't hurt, Ginny wandered inside.

"Maidin mhaith! Good morning!" called a lilting, heavily Irish-accented voice.

Ginny looked around and found the greeting coming from behind the counter. The woman was petite with medium length, caramel-brown hair. She had light-colored eyes, though Ginny couldn't see what color they were from where she stood. She wore a deep chocolate brown sleeveless top and flowing skirt colored with multiple shades of brown. Her sandaled feet were quiet on the hard floor. The woman had a friendly smile.

"Can I help you with somethin'?"

"Well, I'm hoping to find something for my boyfriend's birthday, but I don't have a clue what to get him." Embarrassed, she looked away from the shopkeeper. "I only have a few pounds."

"Well, that's my favorite kind of customer. I'm willin' to negotiate prices. My name is Aisling." She pronounced it as Ashling. "Let's see what we can find for this lucky young fella of yours. Tell me about him. What does he like? What does he not like?"

Ginny paused, choosing her words carefully. "He's athletic. He's smart. He's generous." Ginny grinned. "He likes dogs. He has money, but you'd never know it just by looking at him or listening to him."

"Hmm. Sounds like a fine young fella." The shopkeeper led Ginny over to an array of leather crafts. "I have some fine items here. Would anything here be suitable?"

Ginny tried not to wince for fear of insulting the woman. "They are all really nice, but I made him a leather bracelet for Valentine's Day and—"

Aisling held up a hand. "Say no more. Leather twice in a row is not a good idea. Let's see..." She looked around a moment, then walked over to a display of realistically carved stone statuettes. "I don't have any dogs, but I do have some wolves."

The shopkeeper picked up a standing statuette made of shiny black obsidian. Again, Ginny had to fight the urge to cringe. The little wolf looked remarkably like Harry's wolf form, and for that reason, Ginny rejected the idea. She just wasn't sure how to explain it to the woman.

"I can see it in your eyes that it's not what you're lookin' for."

"It's nice and all, but my boyfriend had been, well...attacked...by a wolf when he was very little. It was also the day he lost his parents."

Aisling immediately replaced the carving. "Well, it wouldn't do to be remindin' him of such a tragic moment, would it?"

"I'm so sorry to be such a bother. Your things are really very nice."

Aisling waved away Ginny's concern. "You're no bother, young wan. I want you walkin' away with the right gift. I assume he isn't opposed to jewelry since you made him a bracelet. Let's look in that section."

As Ginny entered the jewelry section of the shop, her eyes skimmed an arrangement of silver rings on a shelf just below eye level. Her steps faltering, she locked onto one design in particular. She loved it immediately. It couldn't have been more perfect! She sighed in disappointment. It was just her luck that the most perfect gift was made of silver. Harry would never be able to wear it.

"Find somethin' you like, did you?"

"Yes, but I can't get it. My boyfriend, er," Ginny quickly remembered Hermione's explanation to her parents on Christmas day, "has a rare allergy to silver. He wouldn't be able to wear it. It doesn't matter. I wouldn't be able to afford it even if he _could_ wear it."

"Oh, now, let's see which one has caught your eye."

Ginny pointed out the one she liked once Aisling joined her. Really, she didn't see the point. There was no way her few pounds would cover something as nice as that ring.

"Oh, aye, that's a nice one, for sure. A silver allergy, you say? Well, you're in luck. Nothin' on that shelf contains any silver. Those are made of stainless steel. Lots of pieces are bein' made of stainless steel due to its ability to imitate silver, but at a much cheaper price. Tis a sturdy material, and won't tarnish or stain. Here."

Aisling plucked the ring Ginny had indicated off the shelf and handed it to her. "What do you think? Is it perfect for your young fella?"

Ginny stared longingly at the ring in her hand. "Yes, it is, but like I said before, I don't have enough money for it." Ginny replaced it on the shelf. "Best to look for something else."

Aisling picked it up again. "Nonsense. If this is perfect, then you shall have it. We'll work somethin' out. How much money do you have right now?"

Ginny bowed her head. She'd saved every little bit of Muggle money she'd gotten over the years, and it still didn't amount to much. "I only have five pounds."

"Oh, that's not so bad. You're not that far off the price. Perhaps a few extra chores at home could make up for the rest."

Ginny shook her head. "We really don't have much money. Let me just look for something else."

"No, young wan, I believe this ring was meant to be bought by you." Aisling smiled knowingly. "Trust me. I know these things." She eyed Ginny a moment. "How are your organizational skills?"

Puzzled at the sudden jump in topics, Ginny stumbled over her response. "Er, fine, I suppose."

"Good. I'm needin' some help, truth be told. I have inventory that needs sortin', and my displays need rearrangin'. Think you could handle that?"

"Er, most likely," Ginny said, still not sure why the woman was asking her that.

"Fanstastic! You help me with those things, and I'll be considerin' it payment for the ring."

Ginny stared at the woman before her, unable to believe what she'd just heard. "You'd actually _do_ that? But why? Surely, you can't make much money that way."

"For me, tis not about making money. Tis about making my customers happy and going home with the right pieces. I'm not needin' much money to live."

"I'll need to ask my mum. She's here in town. Let me go find her."

"Bring her here. She and I can discuss things."

"Alright. Thanks."

Excitement rushed through Ginny as she darted outside. There was a real chance she could get that ring! It really was perfect. All she had to do now was convince her mum. That would be a monumental task, she knew, but if she couldn't do it, then surely Aisling could. The woman had been so friendly and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Ginny couldn't wait to see her mum worn down by someone so cheerful.

Ginny spent ten minutes searching, finally found her mum at a produce stand, and explained the situation. As she had expected, her mum had immediately refused the offer, and advised Ginny to look elsewhere for her gift for Harry. After a bit of begging, she convinced her mum to at least go by the shop and speak to Aisling, and it was everything Ginny had hoped it would be. Every point her mum made against Ginny working in the shop, Aisling countered easily. In the end, her mum, having no arguments left, agreed on a trial basis.

As Ginny and her mum left Aisling's shop, Ginny glanced back over her shoulder and mouthed 'thank you.' She received a wink in response. Filled with excitement, she couldn't simply _walk_ home. No, Ginny hop-walked, trotted, jogged, and otherwise begged her mum to hurry up because she wanted to tell Harry the good news. Naturally, she wasn't going to tell him _why_ she was working.

Eventually, they made it home, and Ginny dashed upstairs to her mirror, falling onto her bed as she called Harry's name. It took a minute or two before Harry appeared in her mirror, his hair damp, face flushed with sweat running down his cheeks, and breathing heavily. It made for a surprisingly nice view. Then, she realized why Harry looked the way he did.

"Oh, no! I interrupted your workout! I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't even think."

"It's alright, Ginny." Harry swiped at his brow and accepted a bottle of water that appeared from his right side. "Is something wrong?" he asked before take a drink.

"No. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to tell you about what happened for me earlier. It can wait, though, until after you're done." Ginny studied the area behind him. "Where are you? Are you at home?"

"No, I'm at a play park. You'll see. Ginny, I want to hear your news. Besides, Sirius is being awful this morning. I could use a little break."

Ginny could hear Sirius' muted voice in the background, but she couldn't make out what he said. She chuckled when Harry groaned. Whatever Sirius had said, it must not have been pleasant. Harry faced her again and pressed the bottle against his cheek. Condensation covered the clear plastic.

"You think it's funny?" Harry groused half-heartedly. "You just wait. You'll be over here in a couple of days, and then we'll see how funny you think it is." He swallowed another mouthful of water. "So, what happened this morning?"

"Mum and I went into the village near here, and I was offered a bit of work in the afternoons! Better yet, the shopkeeper wouldn't take 'no' for an answer and easily met each of Mum's protests with reasons why I should be able to. It was brilliant!"

"That's fantastic! What will you be doing?"

"Simple stuff, like rearranging displays and checking inventory." Ginny shrugged. "I don't much care. I'll be making my own money!"

"That's really great, Ginny. That actually sounds like it could be fun." Harry's expression turned wistful. "I wish I could join you. I miss being with you."

"I miss you, too, Harry, but like you said, I'll be there in a couple of days. Maybe we can convince Sirius to let us have a little time together before I have come back home."

"I hope so."

"Well, I should let you go. Tell Sirius I'm sorry for interrupting." The view in the mirror tilted, then Sirius appeared, smiling. "No harm done, Ginny. I really was pushing Harry a bit harder today, so he did need the break." He chuckled. "And yes, I think I might be able to make it so that you and Harry can spend some time together. Be warned, I'll make you earn it, and it may only be half an hour."

Ginny blushed at having been overheard stating her hope. "Okay. Sounds fair, I suppose, and half an hour is better than nothing." The view shifted again, and Harry reappeared. "I love you, Harry," she said softly, and watched as his eyes lit up, mouth stretching wide with his smile.

"I love you, too, Ginny. Bye, for now."

"Bye."

The mirror went dark, and Ginny remained on her bed, thinking. Harry had looked, well, gorgeous all hot and sweaty, and it surprised her to think so. Her stomach fluttered as her brain conjured up the image of Harry in her mirror. Ginny had the sudden urge to run her fingers through his hair, regardless of its dampness, and wipe the sweat from his face, but what she really wanted was to kiss him. The flutter in her stomach grew as she pictured herself kissing Harry.

Her eyes widened when she realized what it was she felt. Her mum had warned her that particular feeling could lead her down a path she wasn't ready to go down. Ginny didn't believe there was anything to worry about. Harry wouldn't push her to do things she didn't want to do. For all she knew, this feeling inside was only one-sided. Her mind recalled a few instances where Harry had suddenly pulled away from her or had ended a kiss abruptly. Each time, he'd stuttered out some excuse, barely meeting her eyes. He'd done the same thing yesterday when they'd argued. Well, there hadn't been an excuse, but he'd scrambled away from her pretty quickly, and he wouldn't look at her, either.

Ginny gasped as she put it together. While her mum had skimmed over any information about boys during their "talk", Ginny had figured enough out, having caught her brothers in various states or activities—she quickly shut down that thought before any visuals popped up—to realize that Harry probably _was_ having similar feelings, and was just horribly embarrassed about it. Relieved she wasn't alone, she smiled. She was going to have to find some way to let Harry know that how he responded to her didn't bother her, that in fact, it made her happy. She couldn't very well just walk up to him and say it. She didn't want to embarrass him further. This was going to take some heavy thought. Ginny rolled onto her back, her hands tucked under her head. She didn't move again until it was time for lunch.

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Early Monday morning found Ginny at Harry's house, stretching her leg muscles in preparation for their run. They'd started the day with sit-ups. Well, Ginny had just finished. Harry had completed his while Sirius had gone to the Burrow. Ginny wore a dark blue top with matching blue shorts, and Harry had a hard time keeping his eyes off her. She looked really good, but he wasn't sure why she looked better now than she had at school. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her in shorts or a tee shirt before. He forced his eyes away from her as she looked up. The last thing he wanted was to be caught staring.

During their run, as they rounded the corner, Harry glanced at Ginny from the corner of his eye. She was keeping up, barely. Her flushed face glistened with sweat, her breaths shallow and rushed. He slowed to a stop. Sirius, who had been following them at a short distance, produced a couple of cold water bottles for them, and took one for himself.

"You alright, Ginny?" Harry asked after taking a few gulps of his water.

"Fine," Ginny panted, swiping beads of sweat from her forehead.

"It helps to find a rhythm, trust me. I know it's easy to forget, but try concentrating on it. Inhale for a certain number of steps, then exhale for the same number of steps. I learned that the hard way, even after Sirius tried to tell me."

"Because you're stubborn," Sirius put in.

Harry shrugged. What could he say? It was true. "I use the three-step pattern. Try it and see if it works for you. It may or may not. If you don't breathe enough, you'll get this awful pain in your side. Believe me, I know from personal experience."

Ginny nodded, indicating she'd try it. They handed Sirius the water bottles and, while he put them into the messenger bag slung across his body, Harry and Ginny resumed jogging. Several minutes later, the three of them reached the play park. Ginny collapsed against a tree, gasping, but not as badly as she had been. Sirius made sure they stretched their muscles again to avoid cramps or stiffness.

"Okay, Harry, you know what to do. I want three sets of ten." While Harry began to climb to the cross bar of the swing set, Sirius turned to Ginny. "Chin-ups. Can you do any?"

"I don't know," she said, watching in fascination as Harry climbed with practiced ease. "I've never done any before."

"Well, let's find out. Climb up to the top the way Harry did."

By that time, Harry reached the bar and dangled himself from it. Trying his hardest to concentrate on what he was doing instead of on his girlfriend watching him, Harry drew his lower legs up to nearly horizontal with the ground, and began his first set of ten chin-ups. After having done them every day for the past three weeks—Sirius had even forced him to do them last week before going to Hogwarts—it had become a little easier. He still struggled with the last set, however.

Harry barely raised his chin above the bar before his strength gave out and he dropped to the ground, arms trembling. He looked up to find Ginny watching him, apparently having already finished, with something in her eyes. Appreciation, maybe? Whatever it was, it caused a funny, swooping sensation in his stomach. He closed his eyes on the pretense of wiping the sweat from them. Oh, please, not now. There'd be no hiding anything.

"Not bad, Harry. You're getting better every day. It won't be long before you'll be able to finish that last set."

Sirius walked off toward another piece of equipment, motioning for them to follow. Harry followed without glancing at Ginny. Sirius stopped beside a pair of seesaws.

"Harry, you first. I want you up on the first one. Try to get it evenly balanced."

Harry exchanged a confused glance with Ginny—he felt normal again. Sirius' request didn't seem all that difficult. Shrugging, Harry stepped onto the long wooden plank. Keeping his own balance turned out to be more difficult than he imagined. Having to put one foot directly in front of the other caused him to be terribly wobbly. Before he could do anything to stop it, the other end of the seesaw banged onto the ground, so he had to retrace his steps. But then, the first end hit the ground, and Harry let out a frustrated growl. Several tries later, he finally had the thing balanced.

The sound of sniffles caught his attention and Harry's head jerked up, his eyes searching for the source.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Sirius asked, suddenly wary.

"Someone's crying."

The three of them paused, listening. "I don't hear anything," Sirius said.

"I must have let my guard down," Harry said, still scanning the area. "I usually keep it up or I'd be hearing all kinds of stuff. It's enough to give me a headache sometimes."

Concentrating more on sound than sight, Harry slowly turned around on his perch in the center of the seesaw, unaware he managed to keep either end from hitting the ground. He turned back the other way slowly.

"There," he announced, pointing towards a stand of trees off to their right.

"Alright. You two stay here. I'll go check it out."

"Why should we stay here?" Harry asked, annoyed at Sirius' coddling.

Sirius grinned and quipped, "Because you have that thing so perfectly balanced right now."

Harry looked down in surprise. Sure enough, neither end was higher than the other. Huh. Guess it wasn't so hard after all. Feeling a bit smug, Harry grinned at the two of them.

"Well, guess your challenge wasn't much of a challenge. What else do you have for me?"

The expression that stole over his godfather's face melted Harry's cheeky grin. Uh-oh. He was in for it now. He should have known better than to prod a Marauder.

"Since you seem to need more of a challenge, try this. Balance it with Ginny on one end."

"What?" Ginny asked, surprise and worry evident on her face and in her voice.

"It'll be good for you. You'll have to work together to do it. I'll be right back."

Harry watched Sirius cautiously move off in the general direction of the crying. He turned to Ginny. She was eyeing the seesaw as if she expected it to suddenly toss him off. As slowly as he could, he lowered the end closest to her until it touched the ground.

"You don't have to, Ginny, if you don't want to."

"No, he's right. We do need to learn how to work together. If this will help, then I say we do it."

With that, Ginny stepped onto her end. Once she looked ready, Harry slowly began backing away, lifting her end inch by inch. Ginny lost her balance several times and had to step off. Harry wanted to grin at her frustration because he knew it only made her that much more determined to get it right. Then, on the seventh try, she managed to hold her balance while he lifted her. Keeping the seesaw balanced was trickier than it had been with just himself. One end insisted on hitting the ground with a thud.

Now, it was Harry's turn to get frustrated. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the thing to balance. Too far on his side and the end went down. Too far on Ginny's side and _her_ end hit the earth.

"There _has_ to be a way to do this," he grumbled. He looked over at Ginny, an idea occurring to him. "Ginny, move a little closer to the middle." She took a few steps, then stopped. "Okay, now let me see if that helped."

Eventually, it took the both of them moving back and forth before they found the 'sweet spot' and balanced the seesaw almost perfectly.

Ginny beamed at him. "We did it, Harry!" She all but jumped in her excitement, sending both of them scrambling to find their balance again. "Sorry."

Harry laughed. "It's alright, Ginny. You're right, though. We did it!"

Ginny's expression turned mischievous and she stepped backward along her side of the seesaw, causing her end to dip towards the ground. Not wanting to ruin the streak they had going, Harry deftly moved toward his end to counterbalance. Just as he got them fairly balanced, Ginny moved again, snickering, sending him scrambling, again, to balance them. She did it a few times, until he mentioned how tired his legs were feeling.

"Nice work, you two," Sirius said as he approached, a hand on the shoulder of a scraped-up, bruised and mildly bleeding boy who looked to be about ten years old. "This is Mark. He lives a few houses down. I'm going to walk him home. Will you two be alright? It shouldn't take me long."

"Yeah, sure," Harry affirmed. "Go ahead. One thing. Can I be done now? My legs are killing me."

"Sure. Switch places with Ginny."

Harry grinned wolfishly at Ginny. "My turn." He had every intention of getting her back for all that moving around she did, making him work extra hard to keep either end of the seesaw from hitting the ground.

As Sirius walked away, Harry lowered Ginny's end and walked far enough to step down to the dirt. He rubbed his thighs and flexed his calf muscles as much as he could while Ginny practiced balancing on her own. Oh, he was going to be sore tomorrow. He watched her, amused slightly at her difficulty.

"This is unfair," Ginny complained. "My legs aren't as long as yours."

Maybe not, but they were certainly nice to look at. Harry shook that thought out of his head and kept his mouth shut.

"What are you doing here? This is _my_ play park."

Harry turned around and faced a very large blond boy and a few scrawnier boys behind him, all looking mean. Behind him, the seesaw hit the ground with a loud thump. He held up a hand to her, hoping she would stay put for the moment. He hoped he could buy them some time to give Sirius a chance to return before anything happened. He wasn't intimidated by any of them, Harry just didn't want to pull his wand, for obvious reasons. The big one looked to be more fat than muscle, and the others seemed wiry, but Harry would take them on if he had to.

"Oh? I must have missed your name on it, then. Funny how my godfather and I have been coming here for the past three weeks, and yet, you've not been here."

"That doesn't mean anything. Everyone around here knows this place is mine. That's why I wrapped the swings around the top."

"Oh, that was _your_ handiwork, was it? My godfather had a bit of a time unraveling those."

"You don't have my permission to be here. Since you're new around here, I'll let you go with a warning, but if I catch you here again, you'll regret it." The other boys clenched their fists or crossed their arms over their chests.

Harry had to work to keep the irritation out of his voice. "This is a public place. You have no say in where I go or what I do."

"Hey, Piers," the blond called to the rat-faced boy on his right, "you want to have a little fun?"

"Always, Big D. Maybe I'll get a kiss from the girl when I'm done."

A sudden cold rage filled Harry. Ginny was his, and no one was ever going to touch her. He stepped toward the one who'd spoken, fists clenched and fire burning in his eyes. "Don't you dare touch her," he warned in a low, soft voice.

The one called Piers laughed. "Or you'll do what?" He raked his gaze over Harry's slighter stature. "One punch would knock you out."

"Leave him alone!" Ginny warned in a soft, steely voice, coming to stand beside Harry.

All the bullies laughed. The lead one snorted derisively. "Letting a _girl_ fight your battles for you?"

"No," Harry said calmly, "but she'll fight them _with_ me."

The big blond gestured with his head, and Harry found himself and Ginny more or less surrounded. Piers moved to stand beside Harry, looking eager to get physical. Harry kept his gaze locked on him, instincts screaming that this one wouldn't waste time with minor blows. Suddenly, the boy took a swing. Faster than he looked, he managed to land a glancing blow to Harry's ear as Harry ducked.

"Stop it! Right now!"

All the boys fled except for the large one who had been grabbed by Sirius. Harry held a hand against his ear and checked it—just a little blood. It throbbed mercilessly with each beat of his heart. Ginny wrapped her trembling arms around him, whether to comfort him or herself, he wasn't sure.

"You alright, Harry?" Sirius inspected Harry's ear, while keeping a firm grip on the bully, who tried to dislodge Sirius' grip. "It's cut a little and you'll be sore for a bit, but I don't think there's any lasting damage. Come on, let's take this kid home. He and his little gang have been terrorizing the neighborhood, or so I hear."

"Let go of me!"

"Not until you're home. Now, let's go."

Harry wondered if that kid, Mark, had told Sirius about the bullies. When Sirius stopped in front of a house and led the blond to the door, Harry figured Mark _must_ have said something. Sirius wouldn't have known where to go, otherwise. Why didn't the parents of the other kids do something? Surely, they could.

The door opened and Harry wanted to groan. There stood his aunt—which meant the giant blond bully was his cousin. The woman opened her mouth in outrage at the way Sirius gripped her son, but Sirius spoke angrily before she could say a word.

"Your son," he spat, contempt heavy in his voice, "is a bully. He's beaten up at least one child today, and stood by while one of his friends attacked my godson." Sirius reached over, gently took Harry's chin in his free hand and turned Harry's injured ear toward Harry's aunt. "Get control of your son or I will. I don't want him near me, Harry, or Ginny again."

"How dare you come here and threaten me!"

Sirius shoved Harry's cousin toward the door. "I mean it, Petunia. I won't hesitate to do something the next time. Come on, Harry, Ginny, let's go home."

As they walked away, Harry could hear his aunt shrieking, though Harry figured it had nothing to do with her son's bullying. He couldn't make out her words, they were all garbled and ran together, but he really didn't care to know what she was saying. His ear gave a painful throb and he winced, bringing his hand up to cover his ear. He could feel Ginny's eyes on him periodically, no doubt putting together exactly how Sirius knew the woman's name.

Back at home, Sirius immediately pulled his wand. "Here, Harry, let's take care of your ear. You two can have the rest of the morning off. Ginny," Sirius nodded up the stairs, "there's a loo at the end of the corridor if you'd like to take a quick shower."

"Alright." Ginny picked up the bag that contained her change of clothes and headed up the stairs.

Harry cleaned up once Ginny was done. Then, the two spent the remaining hour and twenty minutes either in the sitting room chatting about the job Ginny started that afternoon or outside on the back porch, quiet and comfortable, sitting on a swing Sirius had conjured, getting in the occasional kisses. Ginny didn't bring up the subject of Harry's aunt and cousin, and he was relieved. He'd just as soon forget they even existed.

Thirty minutes before noon, Harry and Ginny said their goodbyes, with a little demonstration from Ginny of her appreciation of Harry stating she'd fight _with_ him during that confrontation at the play park. Sirius took Ginny back to the Burrow and Harry pulled out sandwich fixings for lunch. After he ate, Harry went up to his room to read another chapter in the book Sirius had bought for him about defensive magic.

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Ginny ate a quick lunch, then ran upstairs, hoping to catch Hermione before the girl went to lunch. It had been agreed upon that Hermione, Ron, and Neville would always carry their mirrors with them, just in case. When Hermione answered, Ginny nearly squealed in excitement.

"Hi, Ginny. Is there anything wrong?"

"No, I just needed to talk to you for a minute. Are you completely alone, Ron and Neville gone?"

"Yes, I'm alone. I'm in my dorm room."

There was a slight edge to Hermione's voice that Ginny picked up on instantly. "Is something wrong, Hermione? You sound upset."

"It's nothing. Just your brother being a stupid prat again."

"What did he do this time?"

Hermione shook her head and smiled, though Ginny could tell it was forced. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. You called me, sounding excited about something. What is it?"

Ginny hesitated, not sure if she should say anything, now. She didn't want to gush about something when her friend was clearly not happy. Hermione assured Ginny that everything was fine and that she wanted to hear what her friend had been going to tell her, so Ginny talked about her morning, leaving out the part about Harry's relatives—she was certain that had been Harry's aunt and cousin.

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny sighed dreamily, "Harry wore shorts and a tee shirt, and let me just say, he looked really good. The exercise is doing him a lot of good. He doesn't have a lot of muscle definition yet, but it's getting there."

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing and looking scandalized. "You shouldn't be talking like that. You're only twelve."

"Almost thirteen," Ginny pointed out, a little annoyed. Then, she shrugged. "I can't help it. He hadn't worn shorts at school. Watching Harry do his chin-ups... I couldn't help but appreciate how he's starting to look. I got all...tingly...sort of. I had to talk to someone, and I certainly couldn't talk to Mum. She'd have a litter of kneazles and forbid me to ever see Harry again."

Apparently, that statement softened Hermione's attitude, for she grinned. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. You and Harry have otherwise defied all 'normalities'. Just be careful, okay? Don't get ahead of yourselves."

Ginny wanted to roll her eyes, so she did so mentally. "Don't worry. We won't." Deciding it was time to divert Hermione's attention from that particular subject, Ginny told her about her job. "It's not much, but at least I'll be able to afford Harry's birthday gift. You should see it, Hermione. It's perfect. Will you be able to come by for Harry's birthday? I know Mum is planning a dinner for him. I'm not sure if Sirius has something else planned, although, I'd bet he does."

"I don't know if I can. My parents want to travel a bit after the end of term. I'll try to be there."

"Alright. I'll let you know more later. I should go so you can get to lunch. I'll be leaving soon anyway. Thanks for talking with me."

"Sure, Ginny. You can talk to me anytime, about anything." Hermione grinned knowingly. "Even if it's about how much you fancy Harry, or like looking at him."

Ginny blushed. "Thanks. You're a great friend, Hermione. I'm so glad my brother stopped being a git and became friends with you."

The two friends said their goodbyes. Ginny's mum called her back downstairs to prepare for their walk into the village, as there really wasn't a good place for Apparating. A short time later, Ginny was on her way to her first job, her mum switching between lecturing and worrying.

"Now, Ginny, you be on your best behavior. You do whatever you're supposed to do. This is a real job, so you need to take it seriously."

Ginny wanted badly to roll her eyes. Did her mother really think she had to lecture about how to behave? Especially since she'd already given the lecture to Ginny that morning, though granted, it was about a different type of behavior. Still, her mother ought to know her own daughter by now.

"Oh, I'm just not sure this is a good idea," Mrs. Weasley fretted. "What if something happens? You're going to be unprotected."

"Mum, nothing is going to happen, and even if it did, I have my wand and the mirror Harry gave me."

"You do?" Molly asked, looking over Ginny's outfit of tee shirt, shorts, and trainers. "Where? You probably shouldn't be carrying your wand."

"Don't worry, Mum, both are hidden well. It's going to be fine. I'll work hard and listen to Aisling, okay?"

Ginny sighed in relief when her mum smiled. For a moment, Ginny feared her mum would change her mind and take back her permission. On the other hand, her mum wouldn't likely do that. Ginny knew her mum concerned herself, to a certain extent, with what others thought of her, and reneging on an agreement would definitely _not_ paint her in a good light.

"Alright, dear. You're growing up so quickly. I suppose I'm just not ready to think of you as being old enough to be doing any kind of work."

"I know, Mum, but I _am_ old enough. I'll prove it. Aisling has a really nice shop. There's little stone figurines, and jewelry, and leather crafts, and everything is well-made."

Ginny filled the rest of their walk with more detailed descriptions of some of the items she had seen in the shop. By the time they arrived, Ginny had her mum interested enough to want to browse through Aisling's wares. Ginny opened the shop door, and was instantly greeted by Aisling, herself.

"Dia dhuit! Hello! Ginny, you're here. Excellent." Aisling walked over, clipboard in hand, and briefly hugged Ginny. Then, she addressed Mrs. Weasley. "Thank you, again, for lettin' her work for me. She really will be doin' me a favor."

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Weasley said, waving away the thanks as if she hadn't earlier worried about Ginny doing a good job. "Do you mind if I look around while you start Ginny on whatever it is she'll be doing?"

Aisling waved her hand, encompassing the store. "Please do." She turned and motioned for Ginny to follow her to a back room filled with open boxes. She showed Ginny the papers on the clipboard. "Everythin' back here is listed on one of these pages. I need you to mark down how much I have of each item. Simple tally marks will do. Then, total each item's marks."

"Alright. I can do that."

Ginny set right to work. Thankfully, it wasn't going to be overly physically demanding. She still felt a little sore from her morning workout. A silly grin spread across her heated face as she remembered how appealing Harry had looked, and how much fun they'd had balancing that seesaw together. No doubt, the exercise was doing some good. Ginny hoped she'd catch up to his level quickly. She felt as if she was holding him back at the moment. Shoving those thoughts away, she concentrated on her task.

00000

Harry's pocket buzzed, and he quickly dropped his book on the bedside table to pull out his mirror. He'd had it in his pocket while downstairs, and had neglected to remove it once he'd come up to his room. Seeing Ginny waiting for him to respond, he smiled. The Weasleys had gone earlier to pick up the rest of her brothers at King's Cross.

"Hey, Ginny. Everyone get home alright, then?"

"Everyone's fine, but you won't believe it! Ron said all of the girls involved in the attack on us were expelled and arrested! Aurors came to the school and led them out. Percy said they were being charged with assault and reckless endangerment. He also said that Draco was also charged with the same crimes. It looks like some families are suing them."

"Wow. I have to say, I'm a little surprised. I never would have thought Dumbledore would actually call the Aurors. I'm glad he did, though. I'm also glad Parkinson and Malfoy are getting sued, though I'm not sure it's going to change either of their opinions. At least they'll have to part with some gold. Why did it take so long for the arrest on Malfoy? That attack happened at Easter."

"Percy thinks Malfoy had been arrested soon after his expulsion, but it had been hushed up. As for Pansy and friends' attack on you, well, to hear Percy tell it, Dumbledore didn't call the Aurors. Professor McGonagall did, and Madam Pomfrey supported her, telling them about the state you were in after Parkinson and those girls attacked, and of course, she restated what happened when Draco attacked you."

Harry's heart warmed at their support. Professor McGonagall had easily become his favorite staff member, second only to Madam Pomfrey. His Head of House had always treated him fairly and had never made his lycanthropy a big issue. He'd found it surprisingly easy to talk to the outwardly stern professor about many things. In fact, he almost thought of her in a grandmotherly role, though he'd never actually tell her that.

With a little jolt, Harry realized Ginny had moved on to another topic, something about having kissed a bloke in the village. All the warmth he felt a moment ago drained away as if being sucked out by a Dementor, leaving him cold and trembling, unable to move or speak. His brain furiously worked to put together what she was really saying. Ginny wouldn't say she loved him, then take up with another bloke. He refused to believe it. His heart rate skyrocketed until he heard the word in relation to him that he'd been looking for. She was still calling him her boyfriend. Harry slowly let out a huge sigh of relief. He hoped Ginny hadn't noticed. After all, he'd promised her he wouldn't jump to conclusions again. Of course, he should have known he couldn't hide anything from her.

"Harry? Are you okay? You looked peaky a moment ago."

"I'm fine, Ginny." Ginny simply looked at him, brows raised, as if she knew he _hadn't_ been fine a moment ago. Harry sighed in resignation, ducking his head. He didn't want to see her expression when he told her. "The way you were talking about that bloke, I suddenly thought you didn't want me anymore." He cringed when she gasped. "I didn't mean to. I know I promised I wouldn't jump to conclusions like that, but it's so automatic. I'm trying really hard not to do that. I did realize that you hadn't meant that at all, though, if that counts for anything. Please don't be mad at me."

"Oh, Harry, I'm not mad at you. I didn't realize you weren't paying any attention to me when I changed the subject. I'll start over. Remember, up on the Astronomy tower, when I told you about my first kiss?" Harry nodded. Now, it all made sense. "I saw him today. He came into the shop looking for a gift for his girlfriend. His family had moved not long after our shared kiss, and just recently returned." Ginny's voice turned tender, and she asked him to look at her. When he did, she continued. "It was nice to chat with him, but you have nothing to worry about. You're the only one I want to be with."

A ghost of a smile graced Harry's lips. "Thanks, Ginny, for not being mad at me."

"It takes time to change automatic reactions, I know. Now, if we'd been together for several years and you were still doing it, _then_ , I would be upset. At first, anyway. After I calmed down, I'd probably wonder what I was doing wrong, or not doing enough of, to make you feel that way."

"No," Harry rushed to reassure her, "it's not like that. You've been incredible, Ginny, telling me every day that you love me, and proving it by listening to me when I need to talk, or by giving me time to think things through before talking about them. I see it when you look at me, and I feel it when you take my hand. You'll never know how much that means to me."

Ginny gave him a tearful smile. "I try, Harry. I tell you that every day because I need to say it nearly as much as you need to hear it."

"I love hearing you say it. I wish you were here with me so I could hold you."

"I wish I was, too, but we'll be together in the morning. Maybe we can convince Sirius to take it easy. The full moon is only a few days away. I know you haven't been feeling all that well."

"No, I haven't, but the exercise helps. What about you? How are you feeling?"

Ginny shrugged. "A little achy, but that's all."

"That's good, I guess." Harry couldn't help the guilty feeling that arose in his chest. "I really wish you didn't have to feel any of it."

"No guilt, Harry. There's no point in it. I've learned to believe that things happen for a reason. Who knows? Maybe I'm in a position now where I can help someone at the new school, perhaps to understand better what werewolves go through. We just don't know, yet."

Harry nodded, reluctantly accepting her point. He heard Mrs. Weasley call Ginny down for a late dinner. "You should go. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. I love you, Harry."

Harry smiled softly. "I love you, too. Good night."

0000

On Wednesday and Thursday, Sirius let them take it easy, making them simply fast walk around the block after their sit-ups and warm-ups. The rest of the morning was theirs to spend it however they wanted, which was usually on the swing on the back porch, relaxing and enjoying being in the other's company. The day after the full moon, Sirius had mercy on the teens again and, after a few sit-ups and stretches, took them to a forest to practice their spellwork. Harry was thankful. Even though the exercise helped to loosen him up, it still hurt, and he wasn't sure he would have lasted for an entire morning. Since he'd started reading the book Sirius had given him on defensive magic, he'd been anxious to try out some of the spells. It appeared he was going to get to do so now, though how they were going to remain undetected, Harry hadn't a clue.

"Where are we?"

"Not far from London. Burnham Beeches, to be exact."

"It's certainly pretty," Ginny commented.

Harry looked around. They were in a forested area with tall skinny deciduous trees making up most of the woods. Maybe ten meters away in all directions, the woods became denser with more deciduous trees with thick trunks whose roots resembled splayed bony fingers half-buried in the ground. As he studied the thicker trees, he realized that many of the trunks looked to be made up of several thinner ones twisted around each other. Some trees leaned. Others grew in a curvy manner. One or two even reminded Harry of the Whomping Willow.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble with the Ministry for underage magic use?" Ginny asked.

"I'm certain, Ginny. I've filed the appropriate paperwork directly with Mafalda Hopkirk, who is the Head of that department." Sirius grinned mischievously. "You see, what no one wants to tell you kids is that a parent or guardian can file for a temporary release of the Trace—and pay a fee, of course. So, rest assured, Ginny, that you are free to do magic this morning. Harry's case is a little different." Sirius turned to address Harry. "Harry, I've paid a sizable fee to break the Trace on you completely."

"Wicked!" the teens exclaimed simultaneously, sharing excited glances and smiles.

"I'm sorry I didn't get that done sooner, Harry.

"That's okay, Sirius. Things have just begun to settle. What about the Muggles, though? Do we have to worry about them coming along?"

"They're only allowed in certain sections of the forest, and only at certain times of the year. This part of the forest is not one of the areas they're allowed in. If, by some chance, Muggles do come wandering by, I've put up some repelling charms so they'll wander away again, none the wiser."

Harry was impressed. It seemed as if Sirius had done some real planning on this.

"First, we'll start on some simple spells for you, Ginny. I want to see exactly where your talents lie, and just how powerful you are."

Ginny ducked her head, one foot shuffling in the dirt at her feet. "I'm not very powerful."

"Yes, you are!" Harry asserted. "That Bat-Bogey Hex you hit me with that day was strong."

"Only because I was angry with you."

Harry shook his head. "I don't believe that for a second. You fought off Voldemort for an entire _year_. That took strength and power." Harry shrugged. "But then, what do I know? I learned a lot of spells fairly quickly. You probably won't beat my record."

Harry nearly smiled when Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You think I can't?" Harry simply shrugged, pasting an unconcerned expression on his face. "I'll show you just how powerful I can be." She whirled to face Sirius. "What are we starting with? Give me something hard."

Sirius conjured a boulder the size of a small car, placing it several feet from them, and set Ginny to work on the Blasting Curse, which she enthusiastically fired time and again, chipping away at the huge rock. Once he saw that she was set, Sirius joined Harry and grinned.

"Well played, kiddo," he said softly.

Harry shrugged, sheepishly smiling. "It worked before. I figured it would again. Ginny loves to prove people wrong about her."

Sirius barked out a laugh and mussed Harry's hair. "Alright, as for you, I think you need to work on your Shield Charm some more. Let's see if we can get it stronger. It's not going to do you much good if it won't stand up to some strong hexes."

Harry worked on Protego for two straight hours, Sirius throwing increasingly stronger hexes. After those two hours, Sirius halted Ginny's work and conjured a humanoid clay statue with a raised fist. Looking around, he spotted a stick the length of a wand, and stuck one end into the fist so that it pointed in Ginny's general direction.

"Try to Disarm the figure. The incantation is _Expelliarmus_."

While she technically performed the spell, the stick only fell at the clay figure's feet. Ginny huffed in frustration. Sirius picked up the stick and replaced it in the clay fist.

"Keep at it. You'll get it. You want your opponent's wand to end up as far away as possible."

Sirius watched her attempts, gave her a few tips, then had her continue. Turning to Harry, he said, "Now, for you. If you're feeling up to it, I have another spell for you to practice."

Yes, he hurt, and yes, he was fairly tired—okay, extremely tired—but Harry was interested in finding out what other spell Sirius had in mind. Running a hand down his face and stifling a yawn, Harry nodded.

Sirius eyed him closely. "Maybe it can wait."

"Oh, come on, Sirius. I'm okay. What's this other—" There was no fighting the yawn this time. "—this other spell you have in mind?"

"Well, it's the Patronus Charm. It helps to repel Dementors. I don't think you're up to trying it today. It takes a lot of concentration, a lot of willpower, and a lot of energy to get it to work, and even then, there's no guarantee. A vast majority of adults have trouble with it, some unable to conjure any sort of protection at all."

Harry, reluctantly, agreed with Sirius. Now that his adrenaline high was gone, he felt ready to drop. It was too bad, too, because he had looked forward to trying out that one. According to the book, the Patronus was fueled by a powerful, emotional memory, and Harry had a few in mind he wanted to experiment with. Which would conjure the strongest Patronus? When Ginny learned of his lycanthropy and accepted him anyway? When she agreed to be his girlfriend? If he had to guess, he'd say his strongest Patronus would be fueled by the memory of Ginny first telling him she loved him, even though she'd said it unintentionally. Still, it would be interesting to see if he was right. He supposed he'd have to wait a little longer.

Sirius transfigured a log into a bench. "Have a seat, Harry." He pulled out his pocket watch. "We'll be going back soon."

Yawning again, Harry nodded and dropped onto the seat. After activating the charm to hide his wand, he settled in to watch Ginny. From what he could see, she was definitely improving.

" _Expelliarmus!"_

Harry watched in awe as the stick went flying into the air, tracing a perfect arc over all their heads to land several meters away. Stunned silence echoed among them as the three of them exchanged glances. Then, all at once, Sirius laughed, Ginny squealed in delight, and Harry stood to give her a hug and congratulate her.

"I told you," he whispered in her ear. "You're one powerful witch."

"At this moment, I feel like I am."

"Good."

"And on that note," Sirius said, walking up to the two, "it's time to go back. Harry, here, could use some rest."

Ginny nodded, looking up at him. She gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm surprised you're still standing, to be honest."

Reaching up to rub at his eyes, Harry stifled another yawn. "I may not be for much longer."

"Let's get back to the house. Harry, you can sleep while I take Ginny home."

Ginny clutched Sirius' left elbow, Harry grabbed Sirius' right. Sirius gripped Harry's wrist. "In case you lose your grip," he explained.

Sirius Vanished the boulder and clay figure before Apparating the three of them to Little Whinging. Once there, Sirius helped Harry to lie down on the sofa. Ginny gave him a quick kiss.

"I won't be gone long, Harry. If you need me, call me on your mirror. I made one for myself and connected it to yours."

Too tired to even be surprised at that, Harry nodded, rolled to his side and fell asleep.

0000000000

Between the workouts in the mornings and learning new spells in the afternoons—with the occasional fun activity thrown in—the days flew by for Harry. Except the weekends. Those seemed to drag simply because Ginny wasn't with him. She spent that time with her family, not that he begrudged her that time with them. It was already July and, in a few short weeks, she would be saying goodbye to them, leaving with himself and Sirius to go to a new school in America. Sirius still wouldn't say where exactly.

Ginny had said she was excited to go, but Harry had to believe she was also sad to leave. He felt responsible for her leaving. After all, if it wasn't for him, she'd still be attending Hogwarts next year. If he hadn't shown up there, Ginny could have gone about her life, staying close to her family. No matter how guilty he felt about it, however, he couldn't deny that he was glad he had gone. Thanks to Ginny, his life had metamorphosed into a life not only worth living, but also worth enjoying.

0000000000

"Well, we've put this off long enough."

Ginny's stomach clenched. She didn't have to look up at her father to know what was coming. Truthfully, she'd wondered when her parents were going to say something. Apparently, now was the time. She exchanged a brief glance with Ron. He, too, looked as if he dreaded what was coming.

"What do you mean, Dad?" Charlie asked, having showed up just yesterday.

"There's something you boys need to know. It concerns Ginny."

Ginny stared at her plate, but she could feel eight sets of eyes focus on her. She almost wished she wasn't present for this discussion. Right now, she would love to be at Harry's house. He would hold her and worry with her. He wouldn't tell her not to worry. He wouldn't even tell her that things would turn out okay. No, he'd simply wrap his arms around her and apologize for her pain.

Ginny's dad sighed. "Ginny won't be going to Hogwarts next year."

"What?!" four voices yelled. "Why?"

"Because Harry won't be there, either."

Silence met that declaration. Ginny chanced a look at her brothers. Charlie wore an expression of confusion mixed with wariness. Percy, not surprisingly, was eyeing her as if she'd done something shameful. Fred and George gaped at her, but she could see mirth dancing in their eyes. Bill, she noticed, didn't appear surprised at all, so she assumed Sirius had told him already. Ginny knew her oldest brother had been helping Sirius, therefore, it made sense Bill would have been told. She needed to remember to thank Bill for aiding Sirius and Harry, and also for his silent support of her impending trip.

"Bill, you don't seem surprised," Mr. Weasley noted.

"That's because I'm not, Dad. I helped Sirius ward his house with lots of protections. He told me before the end of the school year. With everything that's happened, I can't say that I blame Harry for not wanting to go back."

"But, Ginny?" Charlie questioned. "And where will they be going?"

"Remember the prophecy we heard over Christmas, the one that involved Harry and Ginny?"

"Yes, but Dad—"

"Do you really want to experience the dire consequences that prophecy outlined if they were separated?"

"So, where are they going, then?" Charlie asked.

"Sirius hasn't told us specifically where yet," Ginny admitted. "I think he's wanting to keep it as much of a secret as possible. He did tell us he was taking us to America, though."

"America?!" Charlie said, disbelievingly.

"Wicked!" the twins breathed.

"And you're okay with this?" Charlie asked of his mother.

Mrs. Weasley looked sad. "Of course I don't like Ginny running off to another country with a boy, but I don't want her taking off on her own, either."

"It's not as if she'd get far," Charlie argued.

Ginny sent an annoyed glare at her second oldest brother. Before she could say a word, her father spoke.

"Something tells me she'd find a way. Regardless, paperwork has been filed naming Sirius as her temporary guardian. Ginny will be with us until after her birthday."

"Gin-Gin, come talk to us later," Fred stage-whispered.

"Oh, no you don't," Mrs. Weasley warned unequivocally. "There's to be none of that."

Ginny caught George's wink and grinned. Charlie shook his head, still looking as if he didn't agree with the decision that had been made.

"Ron, you didn't look surprised, either," Mr. Weasley said.

Ron's ears flushed at the sudden attention. He squirmed a little in his chair. "That's because I already knew, Dad. Harry and Ginny told me, Hermione, and Neville weeks ago, back when you first gave Ginny permission to go with Harry."

"And what do you think about it?"

Ron exchanged a glance with Ginny before answering with a shrug. "I was upset at first, but I can't really blame Harry for wanting to leave, either. Hogwarts hasn't exactly been the safest of places lately. Harry needs to be able to focus on learning as much as he can, so that when he faces You-Know-Who, he'll be ready. He can't do that if he's worrying about where the next attack is coming from. As for Ginny, she's meant to help him somehow, so she has to be ready, too."

Ginny thanked her youngest brother for his support. Four out of her six brothers supported her, and really, that was better than she had expected.

"Percy, do you have anything to say?"

"Well, Father, it seems inappropriate to me. People will think the worst when they learn Ginny has taken off somewhere with Harry. Her reputation will be ruined."

"Who cares?" blurted Ginny. "There's always going to be people who want to believe the worst about you. The only ones who count are the ones who won't believe every little thing they read or hear.

"Well said, Ginny," Mr. Weasley praised.

"Thanks, Dad. May I be excused, now?"

"Yes, sweetheart, you may."

Ginny pushed away from the table and disappeared into her room. Pulling out her magical mirror, she called Harry's name. Once he answered, she told him how the family meeting had gone, and how they had the support of four of her brothers. She even mentioned the twins' request to visit them later in their room and what she suspected they would ask. Harry laughed at that. They chatted a bit longer before saying good night. Ginny put on her pajamas, brushed her hair, and slipped into bed, awaiting Fred and George to come upstairs.

 **A/N:** For anyone interested, _Maidin mhaith_ and _Dia dhuit_ is Irish/Irish Gaelic meaning Good morning and Good afternoon respectively. Also, where Harry and Ginny practice their spells is actually where parts of a couple of the movies were filmed. Think Order of the Phoenix where Luna is feeding the Thestrals and Harry finds her.


	2. Enjoy Life

_**In all living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.**_

 _ **-Gordon B. Hinckley**_

Harry's birthday fell on a Sunday. Sirius woke him up early for his daily exercise, then took him out to have some fun. Sirius ended up taking Harry to an amusement park. Harry looked around at the visible roller coasters' twisting and looping tracks. Another ride he could see was a tower that lifted a circular module containing seats, and then dropped it, letting it free-fall. Periodically, he caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a pirate ship rocking back and forth, each swing reaching higher and higher until it looked as if it would make a full loop, but it never did.

Once Sirius had paid their entrance fees, the two of them headed straight for the first roller coaster in which the train dangled under the track. The line was long, but moved quickly. Before he knew it, Harry was at the front of the line. He and Sirius chose to sit at the front of the train. He, Sirius, and the next two in line climbed into the waiting car and fastened their safety belts.

"You might want to take off your glasses, Harry. You're not going to want to lose them." Leaning close to Harry's ear, he whispered, "Use the charm described in that book, the one that prevents one's glasses from being removed. Do it quickly."

Pretending to use his arm to rub his cheek, Harry muttered the incantation. When his glasses tightened a bit against his face, he knew he'd been successful. Harry laughed and responded to Sirius' suggestion for the benefit of those around him.

"They're tight enough. I won't lose them."

The safety bars lowered over their shoulders and locked into place. The ride operator double-checked each car's safety and the occupants' safety belts. Harry clenched the bars at his shoulders, feeling a little nervous, but mostly excited. He had no doubt his broom was faster, but he'd never attempted to hang from it and zip through the air, performing corkscrews, loops, or rolls, either. The ride operator returned and pushed a button that started the train on its way.

Just over a minute later, the train pulled back to the "station." The safety bars rose, everyone unbuckled, and disembarked.

"Well, what did you think about your first roller coaster ride, Harry?"

"That was fantastic! The way it twisted and turned! At one point, I felt like I was floating!"

Sirius laughed heartily. "Good to hear." He pointed to a posted map of the park. "Let's take a look at the map and see where we want to go next."

In the end, they decided to go to the tower ride next, then the pirate ship Harry had glimpsed at the entrance. The two of them wandered through some shops before getting on the next ride, a spinning disc with cage-like compartments for the riders all around the disc. Each compartment could hold two people. Once the disc reached a certain speed, it rose up on an arm until the riders were spinning vertically and upside down. By the time the ride was over, both Sirius and Harry felt a bit sick to their stomachs and decided it was time to slow it down.

"What about this one?" Harry asked, pointing on another posted map of a river rapids-style ride. "It's getting a little warm. This one will cool us off a bit."

"Sounds good to me. I'll take anything right now that doesn't spin, dip, or twist."

From what little Harry could see as they moved along the line, the round boats with yellow plastic seats and black rubber inflatable bottoms meandered along a river trail at varying speeds, sometimes dipping under waterfalls and drenching the riders. To Harry, it looked rather refreshing. He hoped they would get wet, too. Then, it was his and Sirius' turn. Four other people joined them. Two inches of water covered the bottom of the boat, and Harry thought that was promising. With all the safety belts fastened, the boat was pushed and they were off to make their way through the course.

Six minutes later, a nicely splashed Harry and Sirius left the ride feeling much better and looking for food. Choosing pizza, chips, and Cokes, the pair sat at a picnic table and scarfed down their lunches.

"Having a good birthday, Harry?"

"It's brilliant! This has been a lot of fun. We'll have to bring Ginny the next time. She'd have lots of fun."

"We certainly will." They polished off their food. "We're going to want to let that settle before we do another ride. Let's wander some shops again."

The last shop they visited, Harry ended up getting a tee shirt to commemorate their outing. To further let their food settle, Sirius and Harry joined the line for the Dodgems ride. When it was their turn, Harry chose a red bumper car, while Sirius chose a black one. Fifteen other people chose their cars, which made for a crowded floor to move around, but Harry knew the whole point was to bump into each other. Sirius was on the opposite side Harry was, and that made it difficult to catch him, but Harry managed, slamming into his godfather with enough force to rattle their teeth.

"Where did you come from? You were across the floor from me!"

"Surprise!" Harry called out, laughing. He laughed even harder when he was spun away by someone else.

When that was over, they decided it was time for another roller coaster. The one they chose had two trains with seven rows of four seats each. Harry discovered that the last two rows of seats faced backwards rather than forwards and insisted they sit in one of those two rows. In each row, the seats were divided into pairs on each side of the track and sat slightly below the track, attached to it by a short arm, making the train look as if it had wings.

All safety gear in place, the ride began. At the top of the very tall lift hill, the track completely inverted so now all the riders were upside down. The train plunged, twisted, corkscrewed, looped, and zero-gravity rolled its way around the track. Harry lost his sense of direction, had no clue which way was up, but he yelled and laughed in delight the entire time.

"That was wicked!" Harry exclaimed as they walked away from the ride. "I think I like that one the best!"

"That one was rather fun, wasn't it?" Sirius agreed.

A few rides later, one of which was simply a mirror maze, Sirius pulled out his pocket watch. "We have time for one more ride, I think, before we're due at Molly's for dinner."

Harry's wandering gaze flew to his godfather. "You didn't tell me we were going over there today."

Sirius grinned. "Surprise!"

"Brilliant! I can't wait to tell Ginny about everything!"

"I thought you'd like that. So, what are we riding now?"

The last hurrah was, naturally, another roller coaster. A wooden one, this time. Passengers sat, two per row, inside the train with a lap bar to hold. This one had tall hills and sharp switchbacks in addition to the standard loops, turns, and corkscrews. Harry enjoyed it just as much as he enjoyed the others. He didn't get the sense of weightlessness that he did with the others, but that didn't really matter to him.

"So, a good birthday, then?" Sirius asked as he prepared to Apparate them back home. They'd walked to an out-of-the-way area outside the park, hidden by some trees.

"Absolutely! And even better, I'm going to be seeing Ginny!"

Moments later, they were back at home. After the requisite pause to settle his stomach, Harry dashed upstairs to take a quick shower as he was certain he smelled horribly. While he waited for Sirius to finish his shower, Harry grew nervous. He was excited to see Ginny, but after how the family meeting had gone, he wasn't so excited to face Percy and Charlie. Harry could only hope they wouldn't hex him.

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Harry landed and stumbled, but managed to keep his footing.

"Alright there, Harry?"

Harry took a moment before answering, "Yeah, I'm good."

Sirius chuckled. "You really need to learn how to stick your landings. Not exactly graceful to stumble and fall, you know."

"Shut it, you."

Due to the wards around the Burrow to keep just anyone from Apparating or Portkeying in, Sirius landed them in a small copse just outside the protection. As they walked, Harry's stomach began to roll and tumble, and for one brief moment, he feared he'd be sick.

"Nervous?"

Harry glanced over at his godfather before returning his attention to his feet. "A little. Ginny told me neither Charlie nor Percy were very supportive of the idea of her leaving with me. I guess I'm just afraid of what they'll say. Or maybe they won't say anything, just glare at me the entire time."

"They'll come around. You have to look at the silver lining. You have six of the Weasley nine supporting you. That's not bad, kiddo."

"I suppose. I just don't want to cause any trouble."

"I know, but there's one thing you should remember: Opinions are like wands, everyone has them and enjoys showing them off."

The Burrow's front door burst open, drawing their attention. Harry's nerves instantly disappeared as he watched Ginny run up to him and envelope him in her arms.

"Happy birthday, Harry!"

"Thanks, Ginny." He was a bit surprised when she kissed him in front of Sirius, but he eagerly participated in it. All too aware of being watched, Harry cut it short. "Wow. Now, that's got to be the best birthday greeting I've ever gotten."

Ginny beamed up at him and took his hand. "Come on inside. Neville's here. Hermione couldn't come, but she sent your present to me to give to you. She said she definitely should be back in time for my birthday, so we'll be able to see her before we go."

"That's good."

The three of them entered into the sitting room where most of the family and Neville were sitting. Harry happily greeted his friend and thanked him for coming. When Neville admitted that his birthday was the day before, Harry apologized for missing it, which Neville waved away.

"It's alright, mate, you didn't know."

"I should have. I should have asked. You _are_ my friend, after all."

"Really, Harry, don't worry about it. I had an alright time with Gran. So, what did you do today?"

Harry hesitated a moment. His birthday had been spectacular, but he didn't want to sound boastful in light of how Neville's birthday had been celebrated. Then, he decided it would likely hurt his friend if he tried to downplay how he'd spent his day, so he stood there, surrounded now by Neville, Ginny, Ron, and the twins, and described the amusement park along with the rides he and Sirius had enjoyed.

"Wicked!" Fred and George exclaimed. Fred continued with, "We will have to go someday."

"Yes, dear brother, splendid idea."

"Come on out into the back garden, you lot!" Mrs. Weasley called. "It's time for dinner!"

Harry passed through the house and stepped into the back. A long table was set with dinnerware for twelve. Next to that table was another that bowed under the weight of all the food that sat upon it. Harry saw at least two sliced hams, potatoes, corn, carrots, green beans, bread and butter, pumpkin juice, some butterbeer, and a large chocolate Snitch-shaped cake with green writing and candles. In addition to all of that, there were party decorations in the nearby trees: streamers, banners, and balloons.

Leaning close to Ginny, he whispered, "Is your mum planning to feed the entire Ministry?"

Ginny giggled. "Yeah, sometimes she goes overboard with the cooking, but Ron will do his best to make sure there aren't many leftovers."

Harry snickered at that. The two of them were directed to sit on Mr. Weasley's left with Harry being next to the Weasley patriarch.

"It's the place of honor, Harry," Mr. Weasley said when Harry tried to sit elsewhere.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Harry said shyly.

That taken care of, everyone grabbed a plate and began serving themselves from the buffet table. Looking over the table, Harry shook his head in disbelief. Stepping over to Ginny's mum, he thanked her for having him over and for going through all the trouble with the meal.

"Oh, it was no trouble, Harry, dear. With all that exercise you've been doing, you need to give your body plenty of fuel."

"Still. This...?" Harry waved a hand to encompass the food table and the party decorations in the trees. "It's way more than necessary. I would have been just as happy with a simple meal."

Mrs. Weasley patted his cheek affectionately. "I know, dear, and that's why I enjoy spoiling you. A person deserves to be spoiled, now and then. Now, off you go. There's presents waiting to be opened after the meal."

"Presents? As in more than one? I know Hermione sent hers here, but I wasn't expecting—"

"My prior statement applies, Harry. Now, go enjoy yourself."

Touched by her generosity and sincerity, Harry hugged her, whispering his thanks in her ear. Mrs. Weasley shooed him away, and he joined Ginny, who had waited for him to return before she filled her plate. After filling his own, Harry followed Ginny back to the table. Feeling the weight of a stare, Harry looked up to find Charlie watching him, a small furrow between his brows. To Harry, he didn't seem angry so much as contemplative. Not knowing what to say or do, Harry simply returned his attention to his meal.

Once everyone finished stuffing themselves, the food and dishes were cleared away and a stack of seven brightly wrapped packages were set in front of Harry. Ginny picked one of them up, handed it to Harry and shoved the others to the side to give him space. Harry took the Gryffindor color-wrapped flat rectangular box. Reading the tag, his brows jumped. From Hagrid? Harry hadn't a clue why he'd be getting a present from the enormous professor. It wasn't as if they were well-acquainted or anything.

"Who's it from, Harry?" Ron called from two spots down and across from Harry.

"It's from Hagrid. Why would he send me something? I rarely saw him outside of class."

"Hagrid has a big heart," Sirius explained from his position next to Ron. "He must have taken a liking to you. Mind you, if it's food, it's best to leave it alone. Hagrid isn't the best of cooks. Your dad and I cracked our teeth on one of his cakes once. We never touched them again."

Harry unwrapped the box. Inside was a note next to a flower. Curious as to why Hagrid would send him a flower, Harry picked up the note, gasping as he read it. Very slowly, he picked up the flower. It was a lily, its star-shaped bloom a peachy-orange in color. Two-thirds of the way up the petals starting from the center was a deep red star. Overlaying the red star, a yellow one reached from the center to a third of the length of the petals. Harry ran a delicate petal between his fingers.

"Hagrid sent you a flower?" Ron said incredulously before bursting into laughter.

Staring at the flower, Harry missed the glare Ginny shot her brother. "Hagrid said Mum had given this to him before she left school as a thank you for being so nice to her. He said she spelled it to last. He's kept it all this time, but thought I'd like to have it."

Ron instantly looked contrite. "Sorry, mate."

"It's beautiful, Harry," murmured Ginny.

"But I thought magic failed once a witch or wizard..." Ron didn't complete his statement, but he didn't need to. Everyone knew what he had been about to say.

Bill looked a bit uncomfortable, but gave an explanation. "Eventually, it will, but how quickly depends on the talent and power of the one casting the charm."

"And Lily was nothing if not talented and powerful," Sirius added softly.

Inhaling deeply to gather better control of his emotions, Harry made a mental note to send a very heartfelt note to Hagrid thanking him for the lily. He looked over at Ginny, who watched him sympathetically, and Harry had a sudden impulse, one he followed through on. Reaching up, he tucked the flower over her ear so that she looked like an exotic beauty. He gave her a soft smile, liking seeing the bloom there. He would have loved to have kissed her, but didn't want to do so in front of her family, especially in the presence of the two brothers who weren't so thrilled with Ginny leaving the country. She must have read something in his expression, for she smiled tenderly at him and gently squeezed his hand.

Harry returned to opening his gifts. The next one he slid in front of him was the size of a brick but weighed much lighter. Pulling off the gold wrapping paper, Harry opened the box. He tilted it just enough to allow the object inside to slide neatly into his hand. It reminded Harry of a child's spinning top, except this had a sharp point at one end.

"It's a Pocket Sneakoscope," Ron explained. "It'll spin and light up if there's someone nearby that you shouldn't trust. I figured you could use one, you know, new school and all."

"Thanks, Ron. I'm sure it'll be dead useful."

Harry set the glass device onto its point where it balanced perfectly, rainbows from the refracted evening light painting those closest to it. Ginny moved it so it stood in front of her, then pushed another gift at Harry. By the size and weight of the parcel, Harry guessed it to be Hermione's gift for him. Sure enough, upon unwrapping it, a book greeted him with a note, which Harry read quickly.

"Let me guess," Ron piped up. "That's from Hermione."

Harry had to laugh. It was just like Hermione to give someone a book, and everyone knew it. "It is. It's a potions book. _Moste_ _Potente_ _Potions_. She said in her note it's a book she discovered in second year and thought I might find it a challenge."

Ron blanched. "Yeah, er, that was the book in which we found the Polyjuice Potion recipe. It was in the Restricted Section of the library."

"Restricted Section?" Neville asked, incredulous. "If it's that dangerous, how in Merlin's name did she manage to find a copy, much less buy it?"

Someone responded, but Harry paid them no mind. Ginny had stiffened at the mention of the year she'd been under Riddle's influence. Harry wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to murmur in her ear.

"I'm sure she didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. She probably wasn't thinking."

Ginny rewarded him with a feeble smile. "You're right. I shouldn't let it bother me anymore. That's why we went down there in the first place, so I could get over it."

"It'll take a little time. Maybe the new school will help."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed, looking stronger, more relaxed. "Maybe it will. Thanks, Harry."

Ginny brushed the corner of his mouth with a feather-light kiss. Harry closed his eyes and savored the warmth that washed through him. It was bliss and it was torture. He wanted really badly to turn his head and truly kiss her. It wouldn't take but a slight movement on his part, no more than a millimeter or two. However, he restrained himself. He didn't think her parents or brothers were ready to see that. Reluctantly, he pulled away, thankful the potions book was still being discussed. Looking down the table in an effort to follow the conversation, he made eye contact with Charlie, whose brows had risen as if he'd been made privy to some huge secret that had shocked him. Again, Harry ignored him.

Eventually, the discussion died down, and Harry turned his attention to the still-unwrapped gifts he had left. He pulled a gaily wrapped parcel to him. A warning had been scrawled across the top of it in Fred or George's handwriting not to open it in the presence of their mother. Figuring he should follow their wishes, he nodded to them in thanks, before pushing it aside and reaching for another.

This one was from Neville, and when Harry opened it, he found a pair of Seeker gloves surrounded by a few packages of Chocolate Frogs. Harry thanked his friend and pulled on the gloves. They fit perfectly. Taking them off again, Harry set them and the chocolate aside. The next to last present contained some treacle fudge and a personal-sized treacle tart from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Popping a piece of fudge into his mouth, Harry delighted in the burst of sweetness particular to the fudge.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. I think yours is better than the fudge at Honeydukes."

"Oh, Harry, dear, you are welcome," Mrs. Weasley said, looking quite pleased.

The last parcel came with a note attached to the wrapping paper. Harry recognized the handwriting as belonging to Madam Pomfrey. He read the note with a tinge of sadness. She had planned to attend, but was called away for a special Healers convention to learn some new healing spells and techniques. He grinned at her reasoning for her choice in gifts. Passing Ginny the note, Harry unwrapped the book.

"Another book? You reckon people have confused you with Hermione?"

Harry snickered. "No, Ron. This is from Madam Pomfrey. It's a book full of general healing spells like _Episkey_ and _Ferula_." He grinned sheepishly. "She said in her note that, with my penchant for needing her services, she wanted to be sure I could take care of myself. I don't know why she's so worried. It's not like the new school won't have a matron."

"Harry, how long has Poppy been taking care of you?" Sirius asked, obviously trying to make a point.

"Ever since I can remember."

"Exactly. She's feeling protective, Harry."

"Oh," Harry muttered, then smiled. He felt the same affection for the matron.

Harry, again, thanked everyone for the gifts. As the others moved away from the table, Fred and George started their fireworks show. Ginny took his hand and slowly drew him away from the preoccupied crowd. Once far enough away, she led him into the house.

"I wanted to give you your present in private," she said shyly, leading him up the stairs.

Ginny stopped at the first landing and, bypassing the first bedroom door, pulled him down the corridor to her room. Harry hadn't been in her room before, and wasn't sure he should actually go in there now. When he'd stayed here over Christmas, she had always come to 'his' room. His eyes swept the room. It wasn't overly feminine with lacy curtains or flowery things, but it still somehow conveyed it was a girl's room. Perhaps it was the posters of the Holyhead Harpies on the walls that gave it away.

"Here, Harry."

While he'd been inspecting her room, she'd retrieved his present. In her hand was a very small green and gold wrapped square box. Ginny seemed a bit nervous as she held it out for him to take.

"Ginny, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to, now open it."

Harry carefully unwrapped the box and lifted the lid. He gasped, then let out chuckle. Looking up, his merriment died at her hurt expression, her eyes quickly filling with tears.

"Ginny?" he asked, concerned over her sudden change in mood.

"You don't like it," she muttered morosely.

"No!" It suddenly became clear to him that she thought he had laughed at her gift. Setting the box on her desk, he cupped her face, looking straight into her lovely brown eyes. "I _love_ it. Honestly. It's just...well, you'll see on your birthday."

"You like it? Really?"

A solitary tear escaped her control, and Harry thumbed it away. "Really. It's perfect. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think I didn't like it. Really, you'll understand once you see your present." Harry picked up the box again. "This looks expensive, though."

Ginny plucked the ring from the box. "Remember that job I told you about?" Harry nodded affirmatively. "Well, it was to pay for this. I saw it in a shop in the village, but didn't have enough money to buy it outright. The shopkeeper was nice enough to let me work for the remainder of the price. I even have money left over."

"Wow. I had no idea." Harry eyed the silvery ring in her hand. Without asking what he really wanted to know, he casually asked, "What's it made of?"

Ginny gave him a knowing look, then beamed. "That's the best part. It's made of stainless steel. No silver in it at all. Surely you didn't think I'd get you something that had silver in it, did you?"

"Not really, no, but I didn't know what, besides silver and gold, they used for jewelry, and that certainly isn't gold."

"Well, no worries. Look on the inside."

Harry did so and saw the words _i gc_ _ó_ _na_ _í_ engraved along the bottom section of the band.He looked up at Ginny in confusion. "What language is it? What does it mean?"

"It's Irish. The shopkeeper I worked for speaks the language. It means 'Always'."

"Irish? I thought they just spoke English."

"Irish, or Gaeilge as they call it, is only spoken as the main language in very small pockets in Ireland, mostly on the west coast."

Harry was impressed. "You've learned a lot by working there, haven't you?"

Ginny shrugged shyly. "I've picked up a few phrases, mainly greetings. Aisling likes to greet her customers with it." She dropped her gaze to her feet before raising them again to meet Harry's gaze. "I also asked her to teach me another phrase."

"And what's that?"

"Tá grá agam duit. It means 'I love you'."

Harry grinned and held up the ring. "Always."

Ginny taught him how to pronounce the words inscribed on the ring, then hesitated uncertainly a moment. "There's a specific way to wear a Claddagh ring, depending on what meaning you want to convey."

Harry nodded. "Right. On the right hand ring finger with the point of the heart towards me, so the Claddagh symbol is right side up when I look at it. That's the message I want to send, that I'm in a committed relationship with the most wonderful witch in the world."

Ginny beamed and threw her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. Then, she leaned away from him just enough to kiss him. This time, Harry didn't hold back and kissed her the way he wanted to earlier, his hands sliding into her hair. The need to breathe eventually overrode his desire to continue, however, and he pulled away.

Ginny looked down at the ring still in his hand. "So, you'll wear it?"

"Proudly."

Harry held out the ring for her to put it on his finger. Watching the ring slide into place gave him a strong sense of deja vu. The last time she had done so was when he had just received the Potter family sealing ring. It had gone onto his pinky, and he'd thought it intimate then. He'd worn it for a bit, but then took it off for safe keeping. Now, though, the gesture was so profound he almost trembled. His brows rose when the ring self-sized.

"I thought you found this in a Muggle shop."

"I did, but I had a Sizing Charm placed on it. How did you know the way to wear it?"

"I can't tell you just yet."

Harry studied the ring. It was masculine without being over-sized. On the shoulders leading to the bezel, three deep grooves produced two decorative bars on each side. Diagonal grooves on the bezel created the hands of the Claddagh symbol, along with the sides of the heart, which sat between the hands. A zigzagging groove created the top of the heart, while two grooves helped to create three short bars for the crown above the heart. Harry loved the idea of having a visible declaration of their relationship.

"Thanks, Ginny. It's absolutely brilliant."

"Harry!" Sirius called up from the bottom of the staircase. "You better not be doing anything up there, or Molly will have my hide!"

Harry instantly blushed, but rolled his eyes. Leaning forward, he gave Ginny a quick kiss before taking her hand and leading her out of her room.

"Sirius, relax! Ginny just wanted to give me my present privately." When Sirius came into view, Harry had to laugh. Sirius had this look on his face that clearly said _And that's supposed to make me feel better?_ "Don't worry. Nothing happened." A mischievous grin slid across his face. "I'm not like you."

Harry snickered at Sirius' expression. If Harry had to guess, it was a cross between relief and disappointment. His hand still clasping Ginny's, Harry descended the stairs.

"Come on, Harry, say good night. Have to get up early for the World Cup tomorrow. I've already taken care of your presents."

"Okay, Sirius." Turning to Ginny, he gave her a hug and a quick kiss. "See you tomorrow. Your campsite is next to ours."

"Good. Good night, Harry."

Harry stepped into the garden to bid the others a good night, then rejoined Sirius. The two of them walked down the country lane until they were outside the protective boundary, Harry showing off his present from Ginny.

"It's so funny that she chose this considering what I bought for her birthday. Best of all, there's not even a little bit of silver in it. It's made of stainless steel." An idea suddenly occurred to him. "Hang on. You didn't tell her what I got her, did you?"

"No, Harry, I didn't."

Harry thought Sirius sounded slightly amused. "What?"

Sirius chuckled, shaking his head. "You sound like your dad right after he was given his first gift from your mum."

"Oh."

Harry felt instant heat in his cheeks, though he liked being compared to his dad. Then, he shrugged. There were apparently quite a few parallels one could see between him and Ginny and his parents. Not only did they look similar, but their personalities were similar, as well as their talents. Considering his parents defied Voldemort on more than one occasion and sacrificed themselves to protect their son, Harry couldn't think of anyone better to be compared to.

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"Harrrrry Potttter, sirrrr!"

Half-asleep, Harry attempted to shove away the whispering voice in his ear. They weren't due to leave for the World Cup until mid-morning. He didn't feel as if he'd slept long enough for it to be time to get up yet. The whisper came again and Harry's hand whipped out, this time connecting with flesh. In an instant, Harry was wide awake, calling forth his wand, while simultaneously grabbing his glasses. Standing in the meager light from his wand, stood a house-elf with big bat-like ears, huge round green eyes, and a long, thin nose. Even though he knew the creatures weren't evil, Harry still studied it warily, unsure as to why one would be in his bedroom and waking him up.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

The huge eyes filled with tears as the creature's long, nimble fingers scrunched up in delight. "Oh, Harry Potter, sir, is just as good as Dobby has heard, asking who Dobby is!"

Harry shifted uncomfortably on his bed, shushing the creature before him. The elf seemed to be overly excitable, and the last thing Harry wanted was to prolong this encounter. Tomorrow was a big day. He didn't want to spend it being grumpy from lack of sleep, not to mention having to explain to Sirius _why_ he didn't get much sleep.

"What do you want?" Harry asked again.

"I is Dobby, Harry Potter, sir. I is hearing of bad things. Dobby serves a bad master, Harry Potter, sir, and I is hearing bad master making bad plans to capture the great Harry Potter, sir, and his Wheezy."

"When is this supposed to happen?" Dread began to fill his gut. If this was supposed to happen during the World Cup...

"Harry Potter, sir, and his Wheezy must not go back to Hogwarts!"

Harry let out a little sigh of relief. "Well, don't worry. Ginny and I have taken steps to insure that doesn't happen."

"Truly? The great Harry Potter and his Wheezy will be safe?"

Harry nodded, then suddenly found himself accosted by the elf, throwing its spindly arms around Harry. Then, the elf began jumping on the bed in glee. Harry scrambled back against the wall out of self-preservation. Getting jumped upon—especially in certain places—was _not_ on his list of things he wanted to have happen to him.

"Stop!" he whispered furiously, trying to catch the elf. "Stop! Get down!" It was a struggle, but he finally managed to get the elf calm. "Can you tell me who your master is?"

The elf's tennis ball-sized eyes looked fearful and darted about. Harry knew what was about to happen, having been around the occasional elf when he was young, and grabbed the arm that reached for the clock on his bedside table. There had been enough noise to wake the dead already. In all honesty, Harry was surprised Sirius hadn't awakened by now, though he supposed having an empty room between them helped.

"Okay, so you can't tell me that. It had been worth a try, since you're here and going against your master as it is. Is there anything else you can tell me?" The elf made a distressed sound. "Okay! Never mind. Well, thanks for telling me this, but you really don't have to worry, so you can go on home, now.

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will do that. Harry Potter has made Dobby extremely happy, sir. Oh, Dobby cannot wait to see his master's face! Thank you, Harry Potter, sir. Thank you!"

The elf disappeared. In the sudden silence, Harry shook his head in confusion. What had that been about? Obviously, there was some plan being made to kidnap him and Ginny from Hogwarts. Won't whoever it is get a nasty surprise when the school year starts and neither he nor Ginny showed! Figuring there wasn't any point in saying anything to anyone, Harry lay down to get some more sleep, putting the odd encounter out of his mind.

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The Weasleys were already at their campsite when Harry and Sirius arrived. Ron had been sent off to get some water. Sirius, thinking that was an excellent idea, sent Harry with two large containers to get their own water. Ginny went along with him.

"This is unbelievable!" Harry said in awe as he looked around at the rows upon rows of tents and people. "Oh, look! There's Seamus and Dean!"

"And Neville!" Ginny added, pointing.

The couple greeted their friends, chatted for a few minutes, then continued on to the water line. As they stood in line, Ron walked in their direction, clumsily maneuvering his full containers. Ginny told him their containers had been knocked over, spilling the water everywhere. They'd been able to collect some of it, but Mr. Weasley sent Ron for more for cooking. Ron spotted them the same time they spotted him. He stepped up to them, and dropped the heavy jugs with a sigh. He grimaced and flexed his hands before turning to his sister, mildly annoyed expression on his face.

"Oh, sure. You won't help me, but you'll help him."

"Don't be an idiot, Ron. You're my brother. He's my boyfriend. Of course I'm going to help him. Besides, I didn't want to miss his arrival."

"You just saw him yesterday, Ginny!"

Ginny's hands flew to her hips. "And I barely spent two minutes alone with him!"

Now, Harry knew for a fact they'd been in her room for longer than two minutes. Their kiss had certainly lasted longer than two minutes, and they'd talked before and after it. However, Harry wasn't about to jump into a sibling argument. Ginny, certainly, wouldn't appreciate him getting in the middle of it, and it likely would only draw Ron's fire. Nope. Harry was staying well out of it.

"Well, you don't need to spend much time alone with him anyway!" Ron shot back.

"Says you! You're just jealous because Hermione isn't here. If she'd been able to come, you'd be thanking your lucky stars that I wanted to spend some time alone with Harry."

The argument drew several people's attention. Harry cleared his throat. It looked as if he was going to have to jump in anyway. "Er, hey, how about you finish this back at the campsite? People are starting to stare. The line's moving anyway."

Ginny whirled around to face him, looking like she was going to tell him to sod off, but then she looked around them, nodded stiffly, picked up the empty jugs, and stepped forward. Harry had no choice but to step forward, as well.

Awkwardly, Harry told Ron he'd see him back at their tents. Ahead of him, Ginny sighed and turned around.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to for that to happen. He just made me so mad! It's not my fault he doesn't have a girlfriend to spend time with. He would, if he'd just open his eyes. But no, he's too thick to see what's right in front of him. There's no telling how long it'll take him before he realizes it. Thank Merlin I'm not left dangling like Hermione is. I think I would have hexed you by now."

Harry snickered. "You _have_ hexed me, or have you forgotten?"

Ginny shrugged. "True. I would say that you were hexed that time for being a prat, but if you were like Ron and left me hanging and wondering, well, you'd still be a prat, so there wouldn't be any difference."

"So, no more hexing?" Harry asked playfully.

"For now." Ginny raised her brows in challenge.

"I'll bear that in mind." Harry laughed. He couldn't help himself. Ginny was too much fun to be around, _not_ to laugh. Wrapping his arm about her shoulders, he settled in to wait his turn at the water station.

0000000000

Ginny felt for certain she was going to lose control and start dancing. Finally, Harry was here, and they could spend some time away from the family, get in at least one snog, preferably more. Ron popped into her head, but she forced him out again. No, her brother wasn't going to ruin this for her. He just didn't understand what it was like to love someone, to want to squeeze as much together-time as possible out of every day.

Harry's arm draped over her shoulders and she grinned. This time last year, she'd just stopped having nightmares over her school year. Now here she was, dating the most amazing person with delightfully messy hair and the most striking eyes she'd ever seen. Ginny wrapped her arm around his waist. The workouts were definitely paying off. Her stomach swooped, and she felt that tingling sensation again. She took a deep breath to shake it off.

"Who do you think is going to win, Ginny?"

"My bet is on Ireland. I know Bulgaria has Krum, but I still say Ireland gets it."

"You could be right, but I think Bulgaria will get it, thanks to Krum."

"I guess we'll find out."

She reached up to the hand of the arm around her shoulders and threaded her fingers through his, thrilling at the feel of the ring. He'd said he'd wear it proudly, but she hadn't been one hundred percent certain he'd meant it. Apparently, he truly had. Looking over, she fingered it, liking how it flashed in the sun.

"What's wrong, Ginny?" Harry asked after scooting the water jugs forward with his foot a few steps.

"Nothing, really. I guess I just wasn't entirely sure you'd wear the ring."

"I told you I would." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I'll thank you again for it later, once we get the chance to wander around alone."

If she'd had any doubt at all that Harry felt the need to spend time together, just the two of them, as much as she did, well, his words would have dispelled them. Not that she had any doubts about that, but it was always good to get confirmation of it.

"It's too bad that Hermione couldn't be here," Ginny lamented. "The World Cup doesn't happen every year. I know she's not that interested in Quidditch, but it's still a fun event. I'm sure she would have found something of interest."

Harry pushed the jugs further up the line. "I think she likes Quidditch more than you think she does. I know her parents couldn't take the time off for a holiday until last month, though. It doesn't surprise me that they wanted to make the most of it."

"I know. I guess I'm just thinking of Ron and how much of an annoyance he's going to be. I don't think he's going to willingly leave us alone."

"We'll figure out something. I'm sure Sirius can help with that." Again, Harry whispered in her ear. "I have the Cloak, too, so we can use that if we have to."

That was certainly good to know. A small part of Ginny hoped they had to use it. The few times she'd been under the Cloak with Harry, it had been before they'd become a couple. She was sure it would be a completely different experience now. She could only imagine how wonderful it would be to have his arms around her, his mouth on hers, and not have to worry about prying eyes. One of these days, she was going to insist they use the Cloak for a snog, whether it was needed or not.

The line moved forward a few more steps. Neville had caught sight of them while wandering and came over to chat, which helped in making the wait seem less eternal. Come to find out, Neville's gran had managed to get them tickets in the Top Box with the Minister, something about how the name Longbottom was an old name, and so they were given first choice in tickets. Ginny was glad Neville had been able to attend for two reasons. The first and foremost being that it was the event of a lifetime, really. Who knew when England would be hosting the World Cup again? The second reason was purely selfish. With Neville around, Ron would have someone to talk to, leaving her and Harry to go off on their own.

At long last, Harry was at the head of the line and filled his water jugs. Neville had gone to find Ron. Ginny's mind wandered back to the conversation she and Harry had overheard between a couple of wizards and she giggled. One wizard had worn trousers and a shirt, while the other one had worn a nightdress-type thing. The one dressed "properly" had been holding a pair of trousers, trying to convince the other wizard to change his clothes. That wasn't so funny. The funny part was what the nightdress-wearing wizard had said, how he liked having air around his privates. Ginny's gaze had flown to Harry, who met her gaze. Both of them had blushed, then snickered. Thankfully, those two were long gone, no doubt the trouser-clad wizard still trying to change the other wizard's mind.

Since it was quite warm, the wizards overseeing the water station were handing out cups of water to those at the head of the line. Ginny took hers gratefully and gulped it down. The ring she had given Harry flashed in the sunlight again as he took his cup of water. She couldn't help looking at it; she received a little thrill every time she did. It just made her so happy to see it there. His declaration was there for all to see if they simply bothered to look.

"Ready to go?" Harry asked, unknowingly interrupting her thoughts.

"Sure. I can carry one of those."

"It's alright, I've got it. You _can_ make a path for us, though. I'm afraid I might bump into someone with these."

Ginny nodded. "I can do that."

Stepping in front of Harry, she led him back in the direction of their campsite.

0000000000

As Harry followed relatively close behind Ginny, hefting the unwieldy water jugs, he enjoyed the view of the sunlight catching in her hair, making it look like pure fire. With every step she took, the fire that was her hair playfully danced across her lower back. Harry loved her hair, loved all the colors in it, light to dark to everything in between. He'd never come across anyone who had that many shades of color in their hair before, and to have them blend so harmoniously left him nearly breathless.

His eyes wanted to wander lower, but he forced himself to look away. He shouldn't be doing that, shouldn't even be thinking it. She'd probably hex him if she knew. Certainly, he'd be hexed if he was caught by any of her brothers or her parents. He couldn't seem to help himself, though. Time and again, while they exercised, he found his gaze on her, and found himself liking what he saw. She was changing, looking older. He supposed that made sense considering her birthday was just over a week away.

Lost in his thoughts, Harry nearly fell over when he collided with someone. Offering a quick apology, he helped the witch pick up her souvenirs before hefting the water and hurrying as best he could to catch up to Ginny. He really needed to pay more attention to what he was doing. Ogling Ginny could wait. No, not ogling. _Not_ ogling! Looking! Yeah, looking. Looking was safe, right? Harry shook his head to clear it. Pay attention to where you're going before you run into someone else!

Finally arriving at their tents, Ginny entered her family's tent to check on lunch, so Harry slipped into the one he and Sirius shared, and dropped the containers with a heavy _thud_ before collapsing onto the sofa with a sigh. Their tent had a Cooling Charm on it, thank Merlin. It also had two bedrooms, a kitchen, loo—he had no idea how that worked since they had to go get water—and of course, the sitting area. Removing his glasses, he used his shirt sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"What took so long?" came an amused voice from Harry's right.

Replacing his glasses onto his nose, Harry glared at his godfather. "Next time, you can go get the water. It's bloody hot out there, and _then_ the line took forever. You're lucky I didn't collapse out there, lugging those things back."

Sirius' grin turned mischievous. "Yeah, but I bet you enjoyed being alone with Ginny, didn't you?"

Harry snorted. "I wouldn't exactly call that alone. Now if, say, we were able to wander around and look at the various stalls, just the two of us, maybe buy a few things, _then_ you could say we were alone."

Sirius barked out a laugh. "I figured you'd get around to asking that sooner or later. It's fine with me, but Arthur would have to give his permission."

As it turned out, after lunch, Mr. Weasley shooed all three teens away from the tents, telling them to have fun but to behave. Admittedly, Harry was a bit disappointed that he wasn't going to get to spend that time with Ginny. Squeezing Ginny's hand to let her know it would be okay, Harry forced a smile onto his face. Really, he shouldn't be so selfish. It wasn't Ron's fault Hermione couldn't make it.

The three of them started to leave the tent when Sirius called Ron back, stating he needed help with something. When they turned back, Harry thought he saw Sirius nod infinitesimally toward the open tent flap. Catching on quickly, Harry led Ginny out in a rush before anyone could change their minds. He would have to find a way to thank Sirius later.

"I'm so glad Sirius called Ron back," Ginny admitted after they'd walked a few minutes. "As much as I love my brother, I was really looking forward to spending some time alone with you."

"Me too. Right now, I don't even care what Sirius has in mind for Ron. Later, the three of us can wander around or something."

The two teens came across a major thoroughfare where it appeared the vast majority of vendors were located. The first stand sold glowing rosettes in each team's colors and squawked out players' names. The cacophony grated on his nerves and hurt his ears—there was only so much he could block out. Luckily for his sanity, the next vendor's wares included pointed hats in Ireland's green color decorated with dancing shamrocks.

"Do you want one, Ginny?" Harry asked, indicating the hats.

"Oh, I don't know, Harry. Why don't we take a look at everything first."

"I don't mind getting you one if you want it."

"I know, but I don't want to find something better somewhere else."

"So, you can have that, too."

"Harry," Ginny said with a laugh, "I don't want you spending money on me. I have money of my own. I worked this summer, remember?"

"But I like spending money on you," Harry argued, grinning despite his best effort not to.

"I don't want people thinking I'm with you for your money. Everyone knows my family doesn't have much."

Harry's mood instantly darkened, brow furrowed in anger, his eyes hard as jade. "Who cares what they think? If I can't spend my money on my girlfriend, then what's the point in having it?"

Ginny gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Harry, but I guess I just don't want to hear about it from Ron or my mum. Dad would be alright, I think, as long as nothing was overly expensive or you weren't constantly buying me things."

Harry sighed and took her in his arms, propping his chin on the top of her head. He didn't understand why it was so awful to buy her things. He could easily afford it. What else would he do with his money? It wasn't as if Ginny manipulated things from him, either. However, to keep the peace within her family, he'd curb his impulse. Their departure date was swiftly approaching, and Harry still feared Ginny's parents would change their minds and make her stay. He didn't want Ginny spending her last few days with her family arguing over ultimately trivial things.

Leaning back just enough to catch her eye, he suggested, "Alright, Ginny, what about this? You find something you really want, no matter what it costs. You use your money, and I'll cover the rest. Does that sound okay?"

After a moment, Ginny's small, sad smile brightened. "I think that's a good compromise."

Returning her smile, Harry nodded. "Good. Now, let's see what else is here." He pointed to the noisy stand behind them. "That is beginning to give me a headache."

"Well, we certainly don't want that," Ginny quipped. "Come on."

They bypassed another noisy stand, this one of Bulgarian scarves, the noise coming from the roaring lions that were knitted on them. Tiny flying Firebolt models were sold at the next stand. Harry and Ginny stopped a second or two to watch them. Moving on, they saw collectible figures of famous players that would walk across your palm and stick out their chests somewhat pompously. Next to that stand, were flags that played either Ireland's national anthem or Bulgaria's when they were waved depending on which one you chose.

"Why must everything make noise?" Harry complained, reaching up to massage his forehead where an ache was building.

Sympathetically, Ginny let go of his hand to wrap her arm around his waist. "Come on, those stalls seem fairly quiet."

Indeed, they were, much to Harry's relief. The first sold programs, while the next one sold what looked like a shiny pair of binoculars, except these had a multitude of knobs and dials. The peculiar items—according to the saleswizard—were called Omnioculars and could replay the action of the game, slow everything down, or show you a play-by-play breakdown. Ten galleons really did seem like a bargain, so Harry bought himself a pair.

Turning to Ginny, he asked, "What do you think? Interested?"

"Yes. Those would be wicked." Ginny reached into her money pouch, pulled out ten Galleons, and handed the money to the saleswizard. "It's really odd, but in a good way, to be able to buy things for myself. I should work during the summer again."

"Anything else you want? A program?" Harry pointed to several other stalls. "Sweets or something to eat?"

"Let's look at the sweets."

Honeydukes had set up a larger than average stall to sell their most popular items. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans filled a barrel next to the stall. By mutual agreement, Harry and Ginny skipped those. Also offered were Chocolate Frogs, Honeydukes Best Chocolate, Sugar Quills, Licorice Wands, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, and Jelly Slugs. The Chocolate Frogs and Honeydukes Best Chocolate had Cooling Charms placed on them so they wouldn't melt.

Ginny paid for two Chocolate Frogs and a Sugar Quill. Harry bought a Chocolate Frog, a bar of Honeydukes Best Chocolate, and a Sugar Quill. Both teens decided to eat their Chocolate Frogs, though Ginny only ate one of hers.

"Who's card did you get?" Ginny asked. "Mine is Agrippa. I think I'll give it to Ron. He still needs it."

Harry hadn't looked at his card. He'd never been one for collecting them. "Oh, er, mine is Ptolemy. Does Ron need that one?"

"He does." Ginny laughed. "He's been trying to get those two for ages, and all we did was buy them from Honeydukes' stall."

Harry grinned. "Well, it's not our fault."

"No, and if he says anything, I swear I will hex him... _and_ take back the cards. Er, Harry, do you mind if we go back to the vendor selling the dancing shamrock hats? I think I might want one."

"Sure, Ginny. I'm going to get a program. Do you want one?" Ginny said she didn't, so Harry paid for his.

After Ginny bought a hat, the teens meandered around the outskirts of the area until they found a spot that was only slightly less populated. Harry had waited long enough. There obviously wasn't any place that would actually be private, so, after stuffing his purchases into a pocket, he reached into his back pocket, and pulled out his Invisibility Cloak. Making sure no one was paying them any attention, he quickly covered the both of them.

Ginny must have figured out what was coming, for she removed her hat, dropping her sweets into it, so the Cloak would hide them better. Harry loved the feel of her arms sliding around his waist. His hands wanted to wander into her hair, but he didn't dare move them for fear of becoming visible again. Harry leaned down, she leaned toward him, and their lips met somewhere in the middle. Tasting the remnants of her Chocolate Frog filled him with tingling pleasure.

Harry lost himself in the kiss, the incredible sensations that were flooding him spurring him into intensifying it. He felt as if he'd been dying of thirst and had finally been given some water. Suddenly, a voice screamed in his head. _Stop! Stop! Stop it, now!_ Harry jumped as far away from Ginny as the Cloak would allow, breathing labored, unable to look her in the eyes, ashamed of himself for losing control the way he had, and mortified at his bodily reaction. What had he been thinking? He hadn't been, and that was the problem. He never should have let it go that far. Harry made sure to keep a certain amount of distance between them.

"Harry, look at me," Ginny requested softly. Placing a hand on either side of his face, she exerted just enough pressure to coax his gaze to hers. "That was an _incredible_ kiss. Don't you dare feel bad about it."

"I shouldn't lose control like that, Ginny. I could end up pushing you to do something that neither of us are really ready for."

"That's nonsense. I'd hex you first."

"You didn't hex me a few seconds ago."

"Because you weren't forcing me into something I didn't want."

"And that's the problem, Ginny. We were both carried away. Where do you think things would have gone if we hadn't stopped?"

"Not where you're thinking, I'm sure. I would have stopped you, Harry—one way or another." Seeing he still wasn't convinced, she added, "Trust me."

Before Harry could form any sort of response, Ginny kissed him. Afraid of losing control again, Harry stiffly returned her kiss, little to no emotion behind it. It didn't take long before that good intention disappeared, however, and he became a more active participant. This time, it was a leisurely kiss with only a hint of the previous heat.

Ginny ended the kiss, then, referring to him finally kissing her back properly, whispered, "That's more like it."

Harry planted a kiss on Ginny's forehead, feeling mostly normal once again. Enough, at least, for nothing to be noticeable. "It's probably getting late. We should head back. Dinner will likely be ready soon."

"I guess you're right. Promise me we'll do this again, Cloak and all. It was really nice not having to worry about being seen."

Harry grinned. "You can count on it."

Peeking out from the edges of the Cloak, Harry checked to see if anyone was looking their way. There didn't appear to be, so he let it pool at their feet. Hurriedly, he folded it up into a tiny square and stuffed it into his back pocket. Taking Ginny's hand, he led her back toward their campsite.

0000000000

"Hermione?!" Harry called out in disbelief. "How did you get here? I thought you were still on holiday with your parents."

Hermione jumped up from her perch outside the Weasleys' tent to envelope Harry in a hug. When she pulled back, her brows were raised in surprise, and she threw a meaningful look at Ginny, who grinned. Then, she hugged Ginny, again looking surprised when she drew back.

"I was on holiday with them until early this morning. They were convinced to let me come. I was home long enough to do some laundry and pack. I used a Portkey to get here. I arrived about forty minutes ago."

"Where did you get the Portkey?" Hermione's eyes darted off to a spot over his shoulder. Turning, Harry saw Sirius walking in their direction. He turned back to Hermione. "Really? That's brilliant!"

"Surprise, Harry!" Sirius called cheekily.

"How did you do it, Sirius?" Ginny asked.

"Well, being the head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black has its perks."

"I'm so glad you were able to come, Hermione. Have you had a chance to look around?"

"Yes, I have. Ron and I have wandered around and bought some souvenirs."

"Oh, that's good. I would have hated for you to miss the chance to get something."

"You two must be thirsty," Mr. Weasley said, holding out a couple of cups filled with water.

"Thanks, Mr. Weasley," Harry said gratefully, taking one of the cups and downing its contents. Harry reached into his pocket. "Here, Ron, Ginny said you needed this one."

Ron took the Chocolate Frog card, noticed who was on it, and exclaimed, "Thanks! I've been looking for that one for ages!"

"It's your lucky day, Ron," Ginny said after finishing her drink. She pulled out the card she'd received and held it out for Ron to take.

"Agrippa? That's the other one I needed to complete my collection!" Ron's gaze jumped between the two of them. "How is it that I can't get either one, and you two get them just like that?"

Harry shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess."

"Where have you two been?" Hermione asked, looking more at Ginny than Harry.

"Around."

Ron looked at his sister and Harry suspiciously. "We didn't see you."

"Oh, please, Ron," Ginny derisively shot back. "This field isn't exactly the size of Hogwarts' Quidditch pitch."

"So, you weren't hiding?"

The way Hermione said 'hiding', Harry knew she was hinting at his Cloak, but he wasn't going to confirm anything. One look at Ginny told him she wasn't going to say one way or the other, either. At least, not in front of everyone. He watched his bushy-haired friend as she tried to read the answer she was looking for in his and Ginny's expressions. When she asked to 'get caught up' with Ginny, Harry wasn't surprised. Oh, he didn't doubt that Hermione wanted to see how Ginny's summer had been, but he knew Hermione well enough to know that she would be plying Ginny with questions.

"Ginny won't be back any time soon," Ron said with a snort. "Hermione really wanted to have some girl time, whatever that meant. Want to play some chess?"

"Sure. Maybe I'll beat you again."

"Challenge accepted, Potter. Come on."

Harry followed Ron into the sitting area of the tent. He heard giggling coming from behind one of the closed doors. Whatever they were talking about, Ginny sounded as if she was having fun. Happy for her, Harry settled onto one of the sofas, setting his program, sweets and Omnioculars to his right, while Ron set up the chess board. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up suddenly. Furtively glancing around, he found Charlie staring at him. Harry sighed. It seemed he needed to talk to Ginny's second oldest brother.

"I'll be back, Ron."

"What? Where are you going?"

"There's something I need to do. I'll be back."

As he walked to the kitchen area where Charlie stood, Harry tried to exude a confidence he didn't much feel. Stepping close so the others couldn't hear, Harry said, "I think you and I need to talk."

"I think you're right. Let's go."

Harry followed the elder Weasley out of the tent and down the row a short distance. Finding a spot suitable to having a discussion, Charlie stopped abruptly. Harry nearly collided with him, but managed to sidestep just in time.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of Ginny leaving the country with you," Charlie said after casting a few spells.

Since those around them didn't pay any attention to the newcomers in their midst, Harry assumed Charlie had cast some sort of distraction charm.

Harry nodded. "That's what I thought was bothering you. Look, I know it isn't an easy thing to accept. What is it? Is it the fact that she'll be with _me_? What can I do to ease your mind?"

"Yeah. She's going to be a thirteen-year-old girl away from home with her fourteen-year-old boyfriend. Things can happen, certain liberties can be taken that shouldn't be."

"It's not as if we'll be without supervision, but that's beside the point. I would never do anything with Ginny that she wasn't ready for. We've not done anything that you need to worry about."

Charlie crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "That's not the impression I got when the two of you showed up. Trust me, I can tell when someone's been snogging. Maybe no one else noticed, but I did, and I think things are going way faster than they should."

Harry suspected Charlie hoped his suspicions would be categorically confirmed or denied, but Harry wouldn't say one way or the other. Ginny's brother was entitled to his opinion, but that didn't mean Harry had spill all of his and Ginny's secrets—what little there were—just to appease him.

"I'm not going to say what Ginny and I were doing or not doing because, with all due respect, it's not your business. However, you should know better than I do that she'd hex me if I tried to do something she didn't want." The irony of his last statement didn't escape Harry.

"And I know just as well as anyone how it feels to get caught up in things, emotions and hormones running wild, making you _want_ to do certain things, take things too far. I was fourteen once, too, with a pretty girlfriend."

"You said in a letter to me that you were okay with me dating Ginny, that you trusted her with me. Well, now is the time to prove it. If you decide to trust us, then, excellent. If you decide not to, well, that's your choice." Harry slipped his hands into his back pockets. "I'm not trying to be disrespectful, Charlie. Really, I'm not. I can appreciate that you have concerns. I just wish you had talked to me about them. I know you've known of our plans for the school year for at least a week. I also know that you know Bill has been helping Sirius and me. If you had wanted to, you could have contacted me through him." Harry looked around a moment before finishing with, "I won't say anything about this to Ginny. She doesn't need to know. Now, I have a chess game to get back to, and I plan on trouncing Ron."

Harry walked away, wondering just what Charlie was going to decide. He just hoped a rift didn't open between family members. Taking Ginny anywhere when there was resentment in her family still to be resolved wouldn't bode well for what the two of them needed to focus on: their studies and their training.

0000000000

"Merlin, Ginny!" Hermione squealed, once Ginny had led her to the bedroom and shut the door. "I have to say you're right. Harry is looking quite nice. He's beginning to fill out. I noticed when I hugged him. He's not the only one, though. You're benefiting, too.

Ginny giggled, even as she blushed, setting her purchases aside. "Thanks, Hermione. I feel...stronger, more powerful, I guess is how I could describe it." Teasingly, she said, "And see, I told you Harry was looking good, but you didn't believe me."

"I stand corrected."

"I'm not going to have hex you to keep you from ogling him, am I?" Ginny asked playfully.

"No." Hermione sighed dramatically. "Alas, he's all yours." Her eyes twinkling with mischief, she asked, "So, been out snogging, have we?"

Ginny face flushed beet red, but she couldn't stop from beaming. She really couldn't deny it, so she nodded. "Under the Cloak, even. Oh, Hermione, it was _amazing_. Knowing that we were hidden from everyone just added something to it, you know? And the way Harry—"

"Stop. Right there." Hermione held both hands out. "I really don't need to hear details."

Ginny laughed. "I was just going to say that Harry's a fantastic kisser. Not that I have any other experiences to compare to, mind, but still. He never fails to make my heart race or to make me feel all warm and tingly."

"That's the hormones, Ginny." Hermione turned serious. "You have to be really careful." Her cheeks grew pink. She took a deep breath, then continued on. "My mum told me that boys can only take so much of that kind of...excitement, if you will...before they end up pushing you to go further."

"You don't have to worry about that, Hermione. Harry isn't going to push me into anything."

"He won't mean to, certainly, but he also won't be able to help it. He's a fourteen-year-old boy. Boys his age can lose control as quickly and easily as...as...well, as quickly and easily as a broom can fly."

"And I can hex him as quickly and easily as a broom can fly," Ginny stated firmly. "Don't worry." Wanting to lighten the mood, she joked, "Wow, that conversation devolved in a hurry."

"I'm sorry, Ginny. You said your mum hadn't told you much about boys, so I thought it wise to tell you a little."

"It's okay. I appreciate you wanting to tell me. I do need to know this stuff. If I have any questions, I'll ask you, okay?"

"It's a deal." Hermione grinned. "So, tell me about this job you had this summer."

The two chatted for a little longer before they decided to join the boys. Ginny walked into the sitting area to find Harry and Ron in the middle of a close game, with Harry currently winning. She and Hermione quietly sat on another sofa, not wanting to disturb the obvious concentration of both players. When Harry moved one of his pieces, Ginny felt her friend tapping on her arm.

"What, Hermione?" Ginny asked, her gaze bouncing between her friend and the game.

"Is that it?" Hermione whispered, covertly pointing toward Harry's right hand.

Ginny nodded, also whispering, "That's the ring I told you about. Wait until you get a good look at it. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw it. There couldn't have been anything more perfect. The shopkeeper even said she thought I was meant to buy it."

"You two aren't as quiet as you think you are," Ron grumbled.

Feeling cheeky, Ginny quipped, "Harry doesn't seem to mind." She laughed when Harry looked over at her winked.

"Of course Harry isn't going to complain," Ron argued, sounding annoyed. "He's too besotted with you to know he _should_."

Harry patted the spot on his left with a smile, and Ginny jumped up to plop herself down next to him. Playing it up, she looped her arms around his elbow, and laid her head on his shoulder, flashing her brother a very wide, very cheeky grin. Harry joined in the fun by tossing his arm about her shoulders and letting his hand dangle. She giggled when Ron's expression morphed from annoyance to disgust. She thought she heard Hermione snickering.

"Do you have to do that in front of me? I'm trying to concentrate on the game."

"Oh, grow up, Ron." Irritation colored her voice. "It's not _my_ fault you don't have someone to distract you from me and Harry. You could, though, if you just plucked up the courage to ask her out."

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, obviously shocked at Ginny's intimation.

Ginny shrugged. She figured her brother needed a bit of a push, so she supplied it. Harry's shoulder started shaking beneath her head. Looking up, she saw he had dropped his head into his right hand, his elbow propped on his knee. The shaking had been due to his effort to hold in his laughter. She'd clued him in to the fact that Hermione fancied Ron, and he'd told her his suspicions that, just maybe, Ron had begun to notice Hermione was actually a girl, a pretty and interesting one, at that.

Things eventually calmed down enough for the boys to finish their game—which Harry won. On the heels of the game's completion, they were all called for dinner. Ginny, from her spot next to Harry and across from Charlie, couldn't help but notice the looks her second oldest brother kept throwing her way. He'd look at her, then at Harry, and frown. She held in a sigh. It appeared she needed to have a chat with him, hopefully before he did or said anything to Harry. Harry felt bad enough about things as it was, he didn't need to have his feelings intensified by a careless statement from her brother.

As dinner wound down, a deep sounding gong echoed across the field, signifying the time to head to the giant stadium-like pitch. As they excitedly filed out of the tent, Ginny noticed lanterns of red and green lighting the way through the trees.

"I can't believe it's finally time!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yes, it's time to see if our bold wager pays off," Fred announced. He and George had been with their friend, Lee Jordan, all afternoon.

"Right you are, brother. Krum will catch the Snitch, but Ireland will win."

"The odds couldn't be better!" the twins shouted together.

Ginny rolled her eyes, too excited about the upcoming match to wonder what her prankster brothers were up to. Slipping her hand into Harry's, and carrying her hat with the dancing shamrocks, she followed her family and Hermione into the woods, with Sirius bringing up the rear. She chanced a glance at Harry. The sound of thousands of people trudging through the woods was bad enough. How would he handle it at the match, where the sounds of screaming, booing, and clapping was likely to be near deafening? He looked only slightly unsettled. She decided to just keep an eye on him. He must have felt her stare because he gave her a smile and squeezed her hand. Nodding at his apparent statement that he was okay, she turned her attention back to the path ahead.


	3. Meeting and Farewell

**Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell.**

 **-Jean Paul Richter**

To everyone's surprise, the match lasted two days. After several hours had passed with no winner, Minister Fudge called a halt to the game, explaining it would be easier to keep the Muggles away if they started again in the morning. So, the match began again mid-morning the next day. Even more astounding, Fred and George's bold prediction actually came true. Bulgaria's Seeker, Viktor Krum, caught the Snitch, but Ireland had enough points to still end up winning the game.

As everyone ambled back to their tents, Harry overheard a heated disagreement somewhere to their right between an Ireland supporter and a Bulgarian supporter. He groaned inwardly. He had a nasty headache from the effort of blocking as much ambient noise from the match as he could—and it really hadn't worked all that well. He really just wanted to go lie down. Hyper-aware of the angry words being exchanged, Harry tightened his hold on Ginny's hand, ready to move at a moment's notice.

His preparedness paid off. Without warning, a spell zoomed by them and blasted a tree right in front of himself and Ginny, peppering them with sharp wooden shrapnel. Witches and wizards began screaming and running. Mr. Weasley ordered his kids and Hermione to return to their tent before pushing through the crowd in search of the dueling wizards, followed by Charlie and Bill. Sirius did the same to Harry, and followed Mr. Weasley, ducking as another spell ricocheted off a tree, heading right for him.

Harry pulled Ginny close so they wouldn't be separated, and the two of them ran in a crouch, flinching as spells furiously landed all around them or blasted into trees. Harry clutched his wand in his hand, casting the Shield Charm a few times as they ran. More heated debates broke out on both sides of them, accompanied by spellfire, filling the air with dirt and bits of tree. Harry lost sight of the others and hoped they made it back to the tent in one piece.

Choking on the dust in the air, Harry cupped his free hand over his nose and mouth. "Ginny!" he called over the din. "Cover your mouth and nose! It'll be a bit easier to breathe!"

"Alright!"

This was insanity! Harry pulled Ginny behind a tree. How could it have become like this? Minutes ago, everyone had been happy, enjoying themselves. Now, it was as if they had suddenly gone mental. Whatever happened to the tolerance of others? He looked down at the girl beside him. Her eyes were huge, her complexion unusually pale, but she was holding it together. Pulling her against him, he kissed her forehead, then promptly dodged another spell.

"Are you alright, Ginny?"

"I'm fine, just a few scrapes from that first blast. Your shields have worked. I really need to learn that one."

"You will." Harry scanned their surroundings, ducking as another spell hit the tree just above his head.

"Good, because I really hate feeling useless."

"You're not useless. What about this? I'll keep us shielded while you Disarm anyone you see fighting."

Ginny briefly kissed him. "Thanks for not trying to keep me out of things. That's a great plan."

Hunkering down behind their tree, Harry kept an eye on the crisscrossing beams of light, ready to cast a shield if one appeared to be heading their way. Most of the witches and wizards who fled were now gone, allowing Harry and Ginny to get a better view of those who were dueling.

" _Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!_ " Ginny's spells were direct hits and the wands landed some distance away, blending in with all the branches that had been blasted off the trees.

" _Protego!_ " Harry shielded Ginny just in time to block a yellowish spell from hitting her.

" _Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus!_ There. That'll keep them from finding their wands and starting another fight."

"Good thinking! _Protego!_ "

The two of them continued as they were, Ginny taking out duelers with Harry Shielding them, until Charlie and Bill showed up. While Bill finished off what Harry and Ginny had started, Charlie scolded the teens for not following directions, laying much of the blame on Harry.

"You're becoming a bad influence, Potter. Ginny never would have participated in this if it weren't for you."

"Don't you dare blame Harry for _my_ choices!" Ginny yelled, shoving at her brother. "If you think I would have stood by and watched people get hurt or hurt others when I could have done something to prevent it, then you don't know me at all! What is your problem? I saw the looks you were tossing at me and Harry during dinner."

Seeing this was going to get very personal, very quickly, Harry surreptitiously cast _Muffliato_ around them, glad Uncle Remus had taken the time to teach him that one. He watched Charlie's expression darken into blatant refusal to say anything else, and knew Ginny wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"This isn't exactly the time or place, Ginny," Charlie angrily retorted.

"There's no better time! I wanted to talk to you anyway before you stupidly said something to Harry. What do you have against Harry and me?"

"Alright, fine, if you really want to discuss this now, in front of everyone, then I'll tell you! Don't think I don't know what you and Potter were doing yesterday afternoon. I know what to look for. This little 'relationship' of yours is moving way too fast. For Merlin's sake, Ginny, you're only twelve! You shouldn't be doing things like that! I don't know why Mum and Dad can't see it, but I'm not going to sit back and let you act inappropriately."

"What?! We haven't _done_ anything! Why can't you lot get that through your thick heads!"

"That's what _he_ said, but I don't believe it. Especially now that I know others have said the same thing to you. If more than one person has mentioned it, Ginny, that should tell you something."

"Oh, it tells me something alright. It tells me that none of you believe it when I say that I love Harry, and that Harry loves me. Believe it or not, I'm well aware of how old I am, mainly because none of you will let me forget it. For your information—though you really don't have a right to know—Harry's never tried to push things. He's never touched me inappropriately. He's never even _looked_ at me inappropriately! All we've done is a little snogging. Maybe you should try it. Then, you wouldn't be so fixated on us!" One of her brother's statements clicked in her mind. "And what do you mean 'that's what he said'? Did you verbally attack Harry like you've done to me?"

Harry ducked his head, face heating as shame and guilt flooded him. Ginny was wrong. He _had_ looked at her inappropriately, or at least had wanted to, on more than one occasion. He may not have actually _looked_ , but he'd definitely had some inappropriate thoughts, and he needed to quit that, no matter how much of an automatic response it was.

"Yes, he and I have talked," Charlie said. "And if he hasn't touched you or looked at you like you say, then why is he looking so guilty right now?"

Harry kept his gaze on the ground, even when Ginny whirled around to face him. She seemed to study him a good long moment before turning back to her brother. What she said next shocked Harry so much, his eyes flew to her to see if she was being honest.

"Okay, well, maybe he's actually _looked_ ," she allowed, "but you can't blame him for that. He's a teen-aged boy. Are you saying you _didn't_ look when you were his age?"

"We're not talking about me, Ginny, we're talking about you and Harry."

"Nice non-answer." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. "So, it's safe to assume, then, that you did indeed look, and probably did more. Is that why you're certain that we're doing other things? Because you did them?"

"Is everything alright?" Bill asked, finally having Stunned the fighters and returned. "I'm sensing some serious anger. What's the matter?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Ginny beat him to it. "Oh, nothing, unless you count the fact that Charlie has accused Harry of forcing me into doing things and tarnishing my reputation."

"What? Seriously, Charlie? Do you not know either of them at all? Have you not bothered to watch them when they're together?"

"I'm not blind, Bill. Did you even bother to notice how they looked when they came back yesterday afternoon? Does it not bother you at all that they're doing that?"

Bill turned away from his brother. "Harry, take Ginny, and head back to the tents. I'd like to talk to my brother alone for a moment."

"Thanks, Bill," Ginny said, rising on tiptoe to kiss her oldest brother's cheek.

Bill smiled with obvious affection. "Anytime, squirt."

Harry chuckled when Ginny reacted to that by smacking Bill's arm. It was a bit of a relief to let someone else deal with Charlie. Taking Ginny's hand, he led her back in the direction of their campsites. At the edge of the field, Harry stopped. He needed to apologize to Ginny for what he'd done.

"Ginny, I...I'm sorry." Unable to look at her, he kept his eyes on his feet.

"For what, Harry?" Ginny paused for half a second before saying, "You'd better not be apologizing for my git of a brother."

"No, not that, although I'm sorry about that, too. No, I, er, feel I should apologize for...for..."

No matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn't come. An awkward silence ensued. Why was it so hard to explain himself? Because you're afraid she'll get angry with you and hex you, that's why, and rightfully so.

"I didn't mean to...to..." Nope. The words still wouldn't come.

"Harry, are you trying to apologize for looking at me?"

Grateful Ginny had been able to somehow figure it out, he nodded. Her deceptively dainty hands cupped his face and brought his gaze up to hers. At least she didn't appear angry. Then again, she could strike pretty quickly when her temper was piqued.

"Harry, answer me this. Do you like how I look?"

Did she just ask what he thought she just asked? She must have because she looked as if she was waiting for his answer. Now, how should he answer that? Should he be completely truthful and say that yes, he very much liked how she was beginning to look, so much so that he tended to have certain responses to her? No, he probably should leave that last part out. On the other hand, he couldn't exactly say no, either. That would hurt her feelings. Plus, it would be an outright lie.

In the end, he went with a simple, "Yes, I do."

"Well, I'm relieved to hear it." Harry stared at her in shock. "Harry, I'm thrilled that you like to look at me...like that...because, to be honest, I've looked at you, too, and I'm liking what I'm seeing. You're getting some muscles, and well, it looks good." She gave him a teasing smile. "As long as you aren't staring at my chest—such as it is—when I'm talking to you, or that you aren't staring at my bum all the time, then I don't mind you looking."

Heat flooded Harry's cheeks at just the thought of looking in either place. She had a chest, he knew. Of course she did. All girls did. He couldn't help but notice that. He'd just never _really_ looked before. Yes, he'd wanted to, but had so far been successful at keeping his eyes from roaming to that part of her. The same went for that other part of her she mentioned. Yesterday, coming back with the water, had been the closest he'd come to actually looking there. And, now that she'd drawn attention to both of those areas, it was going to be doubly difficult to keep his eyes from wandering.

Suddenly, her comment about looking at him clicked in his brain. "Hang on. You've...looked...at me? Really?" Harry checked himself out, trying to see what it was she saw. He was unsuccessful. All he saw was a scrawny fourteen-year-old boy. "I think you need your eyes examined."

Ginny wrapped a hand around his right bicep, squeezed gently, then cheekily quipped, "Nope. I can see just fine. Now, let's get back before someone comes looking for us."

Upon arriving back at their tents, they were set upon by Hermione hugging them and going on and on about how glad she was they were okay. Fred and George set about cleaning Harry's and Ginny's scrapes and scratches.

"Bet you wish you had that book Madam Pomfrey gave you," Fred said to Harry with a wink.

Harry nodded. "It certainly would have come in handy." He looked around, but only saw the twins, Ron, and Hermione. "No one else is back yet?"

George shook his head. "I imagine Dad is with the other Ministry officials trying to sort everything out. Sirius is probably with him. I thought I saw Bill and Charlie still in the woods a minute ago—having a heated discussion by the looks of it—but I don't know where they are now."

Harry exchanged meaningful glances with Ginny, but remained quiet. No one needed to know just what that discussion was likely to be about. Once all of his and Ginny's superficial wounds were cleaned, Ron asked the question Harry had been expecting.

"So, what happened to you two? You were right there with us, and then you were gone."

"Lost sight of you," Harry explained. "With all the dirt in the air, it became difficult to see or even breathe, so we stopped behind a tree to get our bearings. Then, more fighting broke out, and we were pinned in place."

"When no one from the Ministry showed up," Ginny took up the story, "we decided to act ourselves. Harry protected us with _Protego_ while I began Disarming and using _Petrificus Totalus_ on fighters so they couldn't start up again."

"Ginny! Harry!" Hermione gasped. "That's illegal! You're both going to get into trouble for using magic!"

Ginny snorted. "I seriously doubt the Ministry is going to take the time right now to worry about a little underage magic, especially when Harry and I helped them out."

Just then, Charlie returned to the tents, obviously still in a foul mood, and disappeared into the Weasley tent. Harry exchanged another concerned glance with Ginny.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron asked.

"Nothing to be concerned about," Bill replied, having just arrived. "He's just having a hard time right now." Bill made a point to look at Harry and Ginny when he spoke next. "Don't worry about him. He'll get over it."

Shortly after that, Mr. Weasley and Sirius returned to the tents. Mr. Weasley directed his kids and Hermione to begin the process of packing up to go home. Harry squeezed Ginny's hand as a way of saying goodbye, then went into his own tent to pack. The match was over; therefore, there wasn't a reason to stay any longer.

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More aware of Ginny after their talk at the World Cup, Harry found himself sneaking occasional glances during their morning workouts when neither she nor Sirius were paying any attention. He wasn't sure, but he thought maybe Ginny watched him, too. The thought made him more self-conscious than before. Every move he made felt clumsily executed. Then, she smiled at him, and he completely forgot to be self-conscious.

The closer her birthday came, the more Harry could, periodically, see a sadness in her eyes, though she hid it fairly well behind smiles and jokes. Obviously, it was settling in that the two of them and Sirius would be leaving the country in a mere few days. He couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult it was for her to leave her family behind, so he supported her the only way he knew how—by holding her and listening whenever she felt like talking.

On the tenth of August, instead of doing a full workout, Sirius had them do their sit-ups and push-ups, then called a halt. Yesterday, Sirius had told Ginny to bring her money for a day of shopping. Harry knew from his talk with her last night that Mrs. Weasley hadn't been thrilled with the idea but relented when Sirius casually mentioned he didn't mind paying for new clothes appropriate for where they were going, but that he'd let Ginny pay for what she wanted.

Now, here they were, at a huge, multi-storied building. The ground floor, Harry noted, contained men's and teenage boys' clothing, from very formal to very casual. Harry having done his clothes shopping already, the trio moved to the first floor via escalator—which Ginny commented softly on how easy it would be to get around Hogwarts with them.

They stopped on the first floor, heading for the teen section, collecting a shopping trolley as they went. As they approached the shirts, Harry scanned the various offerings of clothing and his gaze landed on some lingerie. Blushing furiously, he tore his eyes away, hoping neither of his companions noticed. To Harry's relief, Sirius was too busy telling Ginny to pick out what she liked, regardless of cost, to notice anything else. Focusing on the shirts in front of him, he was struck by the sheer number of styles available, and those were just the casual ones. He shook his head in wonder.

The good thing was, it seemed to perk Ginny up a bit. She chose several tee shirts in varying colors, some with pictures, and some simply solid colors. After trying on some dressier shirts, Ginny picked out her favorites, then looked torn between two others.

"Get them both, Ginny," Sirius suggested.

Ginny glanced at the pile of shirts already in the trolley and shook her head. "I don't have that much money, really."

"Ginny," Sirius said softly, "I'm paying for this trip, despite what I said to your mother."

"What? No! Mum will check to be sure I spent my own money. Trust me."

"Then we'll compromise. I'll buy the clothes, and you can buy something to occupy yourself on the flight over. It's about a seven and a half hour flight. On one of the upper floors here, there's entertainment, books, magazines, music and such. We'll look there when we're done here." Ginny looked as if she wanted to protest, but Sirius apparently had anticipated her response. "Let me do this, Ginny. Please. You deserve it."

Ginny sighed in resignation, then smirked. "Fine, but you get to explain everything to Mum."

"Fair enough. Now, put those blouses in with your other shirts, and see what else you can find. You'll want a few pairs of jeans along with some shorts, a swimming costume, two or three formal outfits, sandals, court shoes to go with those formal outfits, and trainers, too, if you need them." Ginny stared at Sirius, dumbfounded. "I wasn't joking when I said I was paying for this. Take full advantage."

"But I still need to get school uniforms, books, and supplies."

"Don't worry about those. We'll get them when we get there. Harry needs his, too."

It took a bit more persuasion before Ginny was convinced to shop to her heart's content. After the shirts, she tried on different styles of jeans before deciding on two black pair with glittery pieces on the back pockets, a blue pair with some loopy stitching on the back pockets and around the seam of the front pockets, and a plain khaki pair of trousers.

Shorts came next. She asked Harry's opinion on a few styles and colors. Harry stammered out a response. He didn't even know what he said, really. He didn't know about that kind of thing. For him, if it was comfortable, it was perfect. Besides, did she really expect him to tell her he thought something looked bad? He may not know much about girls, but he was pretty certain that was the quickest way to get hexed. She ended up picking a couple of pairs that would match anything, then found a few pair with bright solid colors.

Harry stared, unable to say a word, when Ginny modeled some formal dresses. She looked so pretty! Each of them proved she was definitely changing. Harry mentally smacked himself for thinking that. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he turned away before he had any other inappropriate thoughts. Unfortunately, he now faced the lingerie section. His face burning, he whirled the other way, certain he could hear Sirius snickering.

His gaze firmly planted on his feet, he startled when someone tapped his shoulder. Turning back around, he found Sirius grinning at him.

"Harry, why don't you go see what's on the next floor? I think you'll be a bit more comfortable doing that."

"Yeah, er, sure. That's...That's probably a good idea. I'll just, er," Harry waved a hand in the general direction of the escalators, "I'll just go, then."

Harry was in such a hurry to disappear, he missed Sirius telling Ginny she could relax and pick out some underclothes if she needed any, not to mention a swimming costume.

0000000000

Thirty minutes later, Harry was joined by the other two, having used a special lift for patrons with their trolleys. A pair of sandals, two pairs of flat-soled court shoes, and one pair of trainers topped the pile of clothes. Glad to be done with the embarrassing part of this trip, Harry pointed out the different entertainment areas.

He pointed to their left. "Music is over there. Films are, too. Straight ahead are books and magazines. Over there on the right are some kind of hand held games."

"I think I'd like to check out the books and magazines," Ginny declared.

"Okay. Harry? Where do you want to go?"

"Music, I think."

Sirius nodded. "I think I'm going to look at the book offerings, myself. Stay alert. Not that I think anything will happen, but you never know. As someone I know enjoys shouting, 'Constant vigilance!'"

Harry wandered the aisles of CDs. He had a decent idea of what he liked, but most of the band names he saw, he was unfamiliar with. Against one wall was a machine with a screen and some headphones. Having no idea what the machine did, Harry hung back, hoping someone would come along and use it. Sure enough, someone did. Harry moved close enough to watch without alerting the person that she was being watched. The young girl put on the headphones, waved a CD case under—Harry didn't know what the thing was—tapped some buttons next to the screen, then began nodding her head rhythmically.

The girl pushed a few more buttons, listened, then removed the headphones. Harry quickly turned away, feigning interest in the display before him until she passed by. Making sure no one else was around, Harry stepped up to the machine, putting the headphones over his ears. Finding a volume dial, he turned it to the left, minimizing the sound level. Holding up the CD he'd picked up—the Muggle group Imagine Dragons since he was familiar with their Wizarding counterpart—held it under the red light as the girl had done, and was surprised when a list of the songs appeared on the screen.

Choosing a song at random, he pushed the button marked 'Play.' Only a snippet of the song played, but it was enough for Harry to decide he liked it. After listening to a few more, he determined he wanted the CD. Along one side of the display was a list of suggested bands. After listening to a few of those, Harry found three other CDs he wanted. Remembering that he wanted to get Ginny a CD player of her own, he picked up one of those before wandering to the books.

0000000000

The top floor held household items. Both Harry and Ginny picked out a suitcase for their clothes and a shoulder bag to take onto the plane with them. Having finally finished their shopping, the trio went to pay. Ginny's eyes grew wide as the cost of her clothing was being totaled. She began shaking her head.

"Sirius, no. That's way too much. Let me put some things back."

Sirius motioned for the clerk to keep totaling the items before turning to Ginny. "It's not too much. It's almost not enough. If it makes you feel any better, you can consider this your birthday gift. That's the argument I intend to use on your mother. You can't turn down a birthday gift."

"I don't know..." Ginny was still not convinced. "I'm embarrassed that everything cost that much. I wasn't really paying attention to the price tags like I should have been."

"Ginny, I promise," Sirius patiently said, "it's not an issue. This is one time where you don't have to worry about prices. Enjoy it, okay?"

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"I couldn't be more positive."

"Well...okay. Thanks, Sirius."

Ginny watched anxiously as the numbers continued to rise, afraid Sirius would change his mind, despite what he said. Eventually, the sale was completed. She kept her mind off the outrageous amount of money Sirius just spent by focusing on her own transaction, more than happy to use her own money. It truly was an amazing feeling to be able to do so.

Once Harry paid for his items, the three of them returned to the house. Sirius instantly placed an Undetected Extension Charm on the suitcases. Not seeing that she would be needing the jeans or trousers, Ginny silently packed those away along with the court shoes and sandals. In two days' time, she would be leaving with Harry and Sirius. Melancholy settled in again, coupled with a little fear. Never had she been so far from home before. The idea thrilled and scared her, though she knew, with the mirror Sirius made, her mum would be easy to reach.

"Ginny, are you alright?" Harry asked softly, sitting on the floor beside her, concern shining from his eyes.

Ginny, unable to hold his gaze, nodded. Was she, truly? All she knew was that getting the clothes, the books and music, and especially the suitcases made their trip more real. It wasn't just something happening in the near future anymore. She worried she would hate the new school. She felt anger at Dumbledore for not having better control over Hogwarts. She even felt some excitement at the adventure of it all. Basically, Ginny was an emotional mess, but she didn't want to admit it to Harry. Apparently, she didn't have to.

"Upset? If you're having second thoughts about this, it's okay. I wouldn't blame you if you decided to stay."

Ginny jerked her head up to stare disbelievingly at her boyfriend. "Upset? Yes, alright, a little. I'll admit I'm a bit scared. It's a new school in a new country. What if I don't like it? I can't just leave. I'm also angry at Dumbledore for what he's put you through. How could he sit in his office and do nothing to find out who had been attacking you? Surely, he could have done _something_. He's supposed to be the greatest wizard in recent history, after all. Second thoughts? No, and no, I'm not letting you go off on your own. We're a team, remember? I'm even a little excited about this, which makes no sense in light of how else I'm feeling."

"And sad to leave your family?"

"That, too, in a way. It's not like I've never been away from them for a long period of time, obviously. I guess it's more that I'm used to having my brothers at school, and having the option to go home during the holidays."

"That's understandable. It's familiar. What's familiar is comforting, safe."

"Except when it isn't safe, which brings us right back to the whole point of all of this," Ginny said, waving a hand at the suitcase and neatly stacked pile of clothes. Her shoulders straightened resolutely, her chin rising a notch. "I just have to remember that I'll be leaving my mirror with Mum, so I can talk to her and see her whenever I need to, and if I ever need to talk to my brother, he has his mirror. I won't be completely cut off from them. Do you really think Sirius could get my parents an international Portkey for Christmas?"

"I don't see why not, but if he can't, _I'll_ try. My stupid fame has to be good for something."

Ginny blinked furiously at the sudden wetness in her eyes. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly. Harry despised the notoriety he received due to the circumstances of his parents' deaths, and for him to say he'd use it for her if he needed to, well, it was simply overwhelming, so she hugged him while she regained some control. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly love him more, he says something like that. For a split second, she wished she could share what she felt with her parents to help them understand that she knew what she was talking about when she said she loved Harry. However, she was ultimately glad she couldn't because what she felt was personal, and to share it with someone other than Harry just seemed so...wrong, for lack of a better word.

Leaning back, she rewarded the most wonderful boyfriend in the world with a kiss, ignoring the sounds of Sirius banging around in the kitchen. Several moments later, she ended it.

"Thanks, Harry."

"For what? You kissed _me_ , remember? All _I_ did was kiss you back."

Ginny let out a little giggle. "For letting me talk through all that, rather than jumping in with meaningless words like 'It'll be alright' or 'Don't worry'. Not to mention offering to use your fame despite how much you abhor it."

Harry shrugged. "That's what you do for me, let me talk it out to myself. I figured you'd like for me to do the same. As for the fame, like I said, it has to be good for something."

"And that's why I love you, Harry."

"Say it in Irish again. I like how it sounds."

"Tá grá agam duit."

"Always," Harry whispered with a smile. "How do you say that again?"

"I gcónaí."

"Yeah, that's right. You need to write those down for me so I can practice them. I want to be able to say them whenever I feel like it."

"I can do that. I kind of like the idea of being able to say something and not have anyone else understand."

"I do, too. Who knows? Maybe we'll pick up a few other phrases if there's another language spoken where we're going."

"Maybe. He still hasn't told you?"

"No. He's really keeping it a secret. Sirius likes his mysteries. I guess that's good, though. That way, no one can accidentally discover it."

Ginny shrugged. "I guess we'll just enjoy the discovery as it comes. Do you have some parchment and a quill? I'll write down those phrases for you."

"Actually, I have something better. Some Muggle paper and a biro. Sirius bought these once we moved here, saying we were going to be in the presence of Muggles a lot of the time and needed to get used to the way they do things." Harry fetched a piece of paper and writing utensil. "The ink is already inside it. Just click the top like this." He demonstrated what he meant, then handed it to her.

Ginny took the biro, studying it closely, curious as to how it worked. She was, after all, her father's daughter. After clicking the top a few times, she put the other end to the paper and moved it across the surface.

"That's brilliant! It writes so much better than a quill and the paper is so smooth. I almost wish we used these instead." She wrote down the Irish phrases and words that she knew, adding phonetic pronunciations and, of course, definitions. "There. Now, you'll know all the ones I do."

Harry's brows jumped to his hairline as he looked over the list. "You know more than you said." He grinned teasingly. "With an emphasis on 'love', apparently."

Ginny blushed. "That wasn't exactly my doing. Aisling insisted. Who was I to turn down knowledge?""

Harry gave her an inscrutable look. "You sounded like Hermione just then."

"She's not the only one who likes to read and learn new things," Ginny retorted, feeling slightly miffed.

"I know, Ginny. I'm just taking the mickey out of you a bit."

Unable to stay irritated with him, Ginny smiled. Returning to her packing, she folded everything neatly—minus two changes of clothes and the dresses—and added them into the suitcase. The other items she delicately placed into a shopping bag. She caught Harry's puzzled expression and giggled. He was such a boy! Hermione was still at her house, and Ginny wanted to show off her dresses. For the first time, _she_ had something to be envious of, and she was going to take full advantage of it.

"Hermione is still at home," she said by way of explanation.

Ginny didn't say more, wanting to see how long it would take before he figured it out. He could be thick occasionally, but in this case, it didn't take long.

"And you want to show them to her."

"I do. They're so pretty. I've never had anything so nice before."

"You looked really pretty in them," Harry said, blushing faintly, but smiling.

Her face heating with pleasure, Ginny beamed. "Nice, Harry. _Go raibh maith agat_."

"Er, what?"

Snickering, Ginny pointed to his list. She waited patiently while he scanned the list. She enjoyed watching him mouth the unfamiliar words as he hunted for the phrase she used. It wouldn't take him long to memorize them, and she couldn't wait until they could say them to each other whenever they felt like it. Harry lifted his head, grinning.

"Oh! You said 'thank you.'" He looked to the phrase listed below the one for 'thank you' for the proper response. "I know I'm not going to get this right, but—"

"Concentrate on the phonetic spellings instead of the actual words. That helped me. It takes some getting used to. I'm still not perfect on my pronunciations."

"Alright, er, here goes nothing. Chah file-cha rote. How was that?"

"Not bad, actually. The only thing to work on is to lessen the first 'ch' sound. It's kind of a cross between the 'ch' and the 't', but I didn't know how to write that, so I picked the sound closest to it."

"Okay, I can kind of see where the ch/t sound comes from with T-á, and it's not so difficult to figure how they get file-cha from f-á-i-l-t-e, but how in Merlin's name does rote come from r-o-m-h-a-t?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't ask. I didn't exactly have the time for a whole discussion on the language. I would like to learn it eventually, though."

"It does have a nice sound to it."

"Oh, you should hear Aisling. It takes on a beautiful rhythm when she speaks it." Ginny's eyes widened. "Maybe you can. Do you think Sirius would let you go to the village tomorrow after my party? You could talk to her. That is, if you want to."

"That sounds like fun. I'll ask him."

"Harry, Ginny, lunch is ready. Ginny, are you all packed?"

Ginny nodded as she and Harry joined Sirius in the kitchen. Once again, Ginny was surprised at how adept he was at cooking. He never really struck her as the type to want to learn. She supposed that was why one must never make assumptions about anyone.

0000000000

As it turned out, Ginny took the suitcase home, as well, so she could pack whatever else she wanted to take. She had planned on packing her school trunk, but Sirius had made a good point when he reminded her they would be traveling like Muggles and wouldn't blend in with a trunk. So, now she and Hermione were in Ginny's bedroom, open suitcase on her bed, Ginny pulling clothes from it to show to Hermione.

"That's a lot of clothes! Did you buy all of them yourself?"

"No, I had some help. Sirius insisted it was a birthday gift. I tried to put some things back, but he wouldn't let me, saying I'd need it all this next school year."

Hermione picked up Ginny's underclothes with a smirk. "And Harry was there when you picked these up, too?"

Ginny blushed nearly as red as her hair, snatching the bras and knickers from her friend. "No, he wasn't, if you must know. Sirius sent Harry up to the next floor to see what was there. He was, however, standing next to me when they came out of the shopping trolley. To be honest, I think he turned redder than I did."

Hermione laughed at that visual. "Poor Harry."

"I know," Ginny said with a giggle. "At least I didn't have to buy anything else personal. _That_ would have been mortifying. Can you imagine having to buy _that_ stuff in front of two blokes? No, thank you."

Hermione wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Ugh. No. That would be awful. In front of Sirius would be bad enough, but he's an adult, he understands about that stuff. In front of Harry, though? No. Not for all the Galleons in Gringotts." Her expression morphed into one more positive. "So, show me the dresses! You've stalled long enough."

Excitedly, Ginny reached into the bag she had placed the dresses in—she kept them in the bag so she could claim they were underclothes and not have her mum look at them—and pulled out the first one. It was a summer dress, and she loved the velvety soft black material. When she'd tried it on, the bodice felt more like a tank top, with its straps for sleeves, though its neckline was square. Ginny really liked the knee-length skirt because it gave the illusion it was a wrap-around skirt by being gathered slightly off-center at the empire waist. She'd always liked that style, but her mum thought it was scandalous. A narrow circle of white crystals near the gathering gave the dress a little flash.

Ginny held it up against herself. "What do you think?"

"Oh, Ginny, that's gorgeous! You'll look really pretty in that."

"Yeah, that's what Harry said."

Hermione's brows jumped skyward. "Did he?"

Grinning and trying not to blush, Ginny nodded. "Just before lunch. Well, he said I looked pretty in all four of the dresses, actually."

"Oh, Ginny, that's so sweet!"

"I know," Ginny sighed dreamily. "I have the absolute best boyfriend in the world."

"Yes, you do, and I'm absolutely envious. Now, show me another one."

Laughing, Ginny reached into the bag again. "I picked this one because it really made me feel older. I was surprised the color didn't look bad on me."

The second dress was also a summer dress with no sleeves, in the skater style. The bodice hugged her chest with a gently scalloped edge, which was what made Ginny feel older when wearing it. The skirt was gently gathered at the waist, adding fullness to its A-line, so that if she twirled around, it would flare out in the breeze. What kept the dress modest was a delicately embroidered tulle overlay that covered the exposed shoulders and created a jewel neckline. An overskirt of the same tulle completed the look.

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Ginny! That's...That's...actually rather pretty. And you're right, that pale orange does look nice on you."

"Sirius thought it was pretty, and I already told you what Harry said. It's a little daring, but I really liked it, and mum would never buy something like this for me, so I took the opportunity when it arose."

"And you said Sirius _insisted_ on you getting some formal dresses?"

Ginny nodded, neatly folding the dress and putting it in the suitcase, as well as the first dress. "He did. He must know something about the school year. Or maybe we're stopping somewhere along the way that requires nicer clothes." Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. He's being quite tight-lipped about things. He hasn't even told Harry anything."

"That's understandable. He's doing everything he can to protect you and Harry. Besides, not knowing anything about your trip can be exciting. Mysterious, even."

"True. Okay, the last two dresses are floor length."

Ginny pulled out a cobalt blue dress with a darker blue appliqued floral gauzy overlay. Hermione gasped in delight, then said something about thinking all of the dresses would be sleeveless.

"Well, don't worry. As you can see, this one has cap sleeves, even though they're still short. I like that they're off-the-shoulder a bit, and the neckline comes almost straight across, which Mum would like, for sure. It's slightly fitted, though, which Mum _wouldn't_ like, but it's not too much. My favorite things about this dress, besides the color, are the five solid bands that wrap around the bodice starting at the high waist and ending at the hip. And, of course, I love the long flowing skirt."

"I think that one's my favorite so far."

"Mine, too," Ginny said while gently tucking the dress into the suitcase. "Okay, now for the last one." This dress was a deep purple in color, like a plum or an eggplant. "This one the clerk thought had a bit of Celtic flare, with the thin vertical gatherings—I think she called it ruching—on the front, and the way it looks like it has a sash coming from the back and tying in the front for an empire waist."

"Yes, it does have a bit of a medieval look to it." Hermione brushed a hand through the folds of the skirt. "Oh, and look how these layers come away from the rest." She held out the edges, on each side, of a couple of layers of gauzy material that appeared to flow from under the faux sash. "This dress is really beautiful. And short sleeves, again. I'm so jealous."

"Maybe you'll have a reason to wear something like this at school," Ginny said, adding the dress to the rest of her new clothes.

Hermione snorted. "I doubt it. When was the last time Hogwarts had a dance or something where dress robes were required?"

"Well, you should know the answer to that," Ginny quipped. "How many times have you read Hogwarts, A History?"

"I know, and it's been a long time, in case you were wondering."

"That just means that Hogwarts is due."

"I suppose," Hermione said, obviously not convinced.

"Come on, help me pack some things."

0000000000

Once Ginny was back at the Burrow, Sirius took Harry to Godric's Hollow, to Harry's complete relief. He'd feared not being able to come say goodbye. He hated the idea of not being here on the anniversary of their deaths, but at least he still could say everything to them that he wanted to say. While he would have loved to have had Ginny here with him, he didn't feel as if he'd fall apart without her like he had previously felt. Thanks to Ginny, he was stronger now.

Harry waited patiently while Sirius faced the white marble tombstones marking Harry's parents' final resting place. Harry offered to let Sirius go first, knowing his godfather hadn't really been to see them, therefore, not having spoken to them and said what he needed to say. Harry wasn't sure how long he waited—not that it mattered at all to him—but Sirius finally got to his feet and walked back toward where Harry sat.

"Go ahead, kiddo," Sirius said in a voice husky with emotion.

Harry hesitated a moment to make sure Sirius was all right before making his own way to the grave markers. Where Sirius had knelt, Harry sat, his gaze jumping between headstones.

"Mum, Dad, I'm back a little early this time. I'm early because I won't be here in October. I don't know how much Sirius told you, but I'm not going back to Hogwarts. Don't get me wrong, I've loved meeting the teachers you had, and walking the corridors you've walked, but it just hasn't been safe there for me. Dumbledore seems to have lost control of the school or lost sight of what he's supposed to be doing, or something. I don't know. I just know that Sirius is taking Ginny and me somewhere else. I'd like to tell you, but I don't want anyone overhearing."

Harry looked around to see if anyone was close by and perhaps had overheard what he'd said already. The little graveyard behind the small white church was deserted save Sirius, who now waited by the gate, looking down the road toward the square where Harry knew the monument sat in honor of his parents. He turned his attention back to the graves.

"You may have noticed I said Ginny and me. Yes, we're still together, and yes, she's coming with me. I love her. I don't mean that in a general sense, either. I mean, I truly love her. I know I'm only fourteen, but I know what I feel. She loves me, too. She even gave me a Claddagh ring for my birthday, which is hilarious because that's what I'm giving _her_."

Harry's gaze drifted to a stand of trees outside the fence, gathering his thoughts. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "Ginny's birthday is tomorrow. The day after that is when we leave. I can't believe it's nearly here. I have to say, I'm a bit nervous. The people won't know me, though, so that'll be nice. I'll finally just be Harry Potter, no _the_ in front of it. What if they don't like me?" Harry gave a little chuckle. "There was a time when I didn't care whether people liked me or not. Ginny changed that. Well, if they do, great. If they don't, I'll still have Ginny."

Again, Harry took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm a little worried about Ginny, though. She's never been so far away from her family. She's really close with them. I know she's going to miss them terribly. I hope she finds some new friends there. I'll feel really bad if she doesn't. I think it'll do her some good, though, to get away from things, to start fresh. She's still bothered by what happened with Riddle her first year, despite the fact she says she's gotten over it."

Harry paused as someone walked by on her own way to a loved one. Once the woman was far enough away, Harry continued his one-sided conversation. "Ginny and I will be training hard at our new school. We're going to win this war. I just wish you could be here to enjoy it with us. I'll make you proud of me. Take good care of Uncle Remus, and I'll try to make sure Sirius doesn't join you prematurely." Harry sighed. "Well, I should probably go. I know our visit was short, but I have to prepare for what's ahead. Goodbye, Mum, Dad. I love you."

Standing, Harry lingered for only a moment before turning away and returning to Sirius. The pair walked a short distance out of town before disappearing.

0000000000

Ginny's birthday celebration began with lunch. Harry, Sirius, and Neville joined the Weasleys and Hermione at the Burrow. Ginny took the seat of honor next to her father, just as Harry had done on his birthday. Sitting on Ginny's left put him diagonally across from Charlie. Harry could feel Charlie's weighty stares, but honestly didn't know what else could be said to Ginny's brother. Ginny, herself, had harangued him for his actions, but it obviously made no difference. Harry squirmed in his seat a little. Ginny's second oldest brother wasn't the only one watching them. He had caught Mrs. Weasley's gaze on them more than once, looking as if she would burst into tears at any moment.

Mr. Weasley brought out the presents once the meal was finished. Predictably, Hermione gave her a book, this one covering the differences between British English and American English.

"Thanks, Hermione."

"You're welcome, Ginny. Some of their phrases and words have different meanings than they do here. I thought you might like to know what they are since you're likely to hear a lot of them."

Neville's gift came second, which was a Holyhead Harpies tee shirt. Ginny thanked him profusely before reverently setting it aside. Harry noticed the present from Fred and George was labeled the same as his own gift had been. Considering his gift had been full of joke sweets the twins concocted and fireworks, Harry thought it wise to pass it up for another one, which was exactly what Ginny did. From Percy, she received a stationery set, complete with ink and quill.

"That reminds me. Harry, what are you going to do about Hedwig? You're not going to be able to carry her around."

"Oh, er, I guess I never really thought of that." Looking to Sirius, he asked, "Do you have a plan?"

"Of course I have a plan, Harry. I'll be sending her off with a letter tonight to the Headmistress. Hedwig will be there waiting for us to arrive." He chuckled at their excited expressions. "Yes, I know I just let some information slip, but it's still not enough to determine where we're going." He grinned cheekily. "You're simply going to have to wait."

Both teens slumped in disappointment, but were quickly distracted again by the remaining presents Ginny still had to open. Harry was amazed at Charlie's gift. A one and a half inch translucent green egg with glittering specks of gold hung from a sturdy gold chain. Inside the egg, a nebulous cloud of white shifted aimlessly.

"It's beautiful, Charlie. Thank you."

"That's only part of the gift. Cup the egg in your hands and say 'Salut'. Watch what happens."

Ginny did as instructed, then gasped, her expression one of shock and delight. Harry couldn't tell what was happening, but was content to wait until Ginny was ready to share. Her head suddenly shot up to gape at her brother a moment before breaking out into a huge grin.

"It's so adorable! Look, Harry!"

Looking into Ginny's cupped hands, Harry noticed the egg had become all but transparent. Where the mist once was, a dark green baby dragon with golden horns fumbled around, tripping over its wings, still adjusting to walking around.

"It's cute," he agreed.

"She's a recent hatchling at the reserve. She's one of the few Romanian Longhorns ever born there. Your egg is connected to her, like a window to the reserve. Whenever you want to see her, just repeat what you just did. She's 'yours' in that you get the honor of naming her."

"I do?" Ginny jumped up and ran around the table to hug her brother. "Thanks, Charlie. I'll give her a good name."

"I'm sure you will. I need to know it soon, though, so she can get used to hearing it."

Ginny regained her seat, deep in thought, occasionally studying the baby dragon. "I think I'll call her Maeve, after Queen Maeve who taught in Ireland before Hogwarts was built. After all, we're still learning from the dragons, right? Seems appropriate."

"It's a fine name, Ginny," Charlie said with a nod. "Now, whenever you want to see her, just say 'Salut, Maeve,' and she will appear. To say goodbye, say 'Pe curând, Maeve,' and the egg will return to its normal state."

Harry watched as Ginny took a final look at 'her' dragon, then she spoke the words that turned the 'window' back to mist and the egg back to its regular translucent state.

"Ginny, how did you know about Queen Maeve?" Hermione asked.

To Harry's amusement, Ginny blushed and said, "You're not the only one to have read Hogwarts, A History."

Hermione beamed and Ron groaned, saying, "Not you, too."

Harry, not understanding what the problem was, glanced between Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. Not figuring out the issue, he said, "What? There's nothing wrong with having read it. I've read it. It's really fairly interesting."

Ron screwed up his face in distaste. "I forgot that you had read it, too." He turned to Neville. "Don't you dare tell me you've read it."

"No, I haven't."

"Good. You and I have to stand strong against the nutters."

"Git," Ginny muttered with an eye roll. She reached for the last brightly wrapped package, but stopped when a long one slid down the table. Only one thing could come in a package like that. Excitedly, she ripped the paper off.

"Bill!" Ginny exclaimed, astounded at what was before her.

Harry grinned when he saw what had been uncovered. The Firebolt was nearly identical to his. The twigs were the difference. Harry's were made of birch, which was perfect for the ascending

maneuvers he had to make as a Seeker. The one Ginny had just been gifted had twigs of hazel, presumably to help her make more precise turns, which, incidentally, was exactly what a Chaser needed.

Harry nearly laughed when Ginny squealed and ran to hug her oldest brother.

Bill laughed, accepting the hug. "Well, we couldn't have you using the school brooms, not knowing what quality they would be. For all we know, they could be older than the Hogwarts brooms."

"Oh, Bill, was it really necessary to get her a Firebolt?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her worry evident in her face. "A Nimbus would have been sufficient if you really felt she needed a broom."

Harry inferred from her last statement that Mrs. Weasley didn't like the idea of Ginny having a broom of any kind. He couldn't understand why she felt that way. Ginny flew incredibly well. He loved watching her when she was in the air. She enjoyed flying just as much as he did. Why shouldn't she have a broom? Maybe it was one of those things Ginny had told him about in regards to traditional gender roles. She once said her mum was very traditional.

"Mum, why shouldn't she have the best broom possible? She handled Harry's Firebolt just fine."

"But it's so dangerous, and if something happened, she'll be so far away."

Mrs. Weasley began to cry. So much so that she jumped up from the table and disappeared into the house. The once happy mood turned somber. Harry, feeling terribly about the family troubles, ducked his head, dropping his gaze to the edge of the table in front of him, very aware of Charlie staring in his direction, therefore, Harry missed Mr. Weasley pointedly stating that things would be fine and that no one was to blame. He also missed the Weasley patriarch going after his wife.

A gentle tug on his chin had him meeting Ginny's gaze. Her light brown eyes were clear, and she held his gaze when she spoke.

"It'll be alright, Harry. Like Dad said, no one is to blame." Ginny's eyes cut away from his, and Harry glanced in the direction she was looking. She stared at Charlie. " _No one_ is to blame. Now, this is my party, and I say we should be happy. Besides, I have one more gift to open."

"Absolutely, we should," Bill agreed. "Open your gift."

Harry wondered what Ginny's parents gave her. He was slightly worried her parents gave her clothes. Then, she pulled out something that looked handmade and decided it wasn't a bunch of clothes. It took Ginny unfolding it before he realized it was a smallish throw blanket. It looked to be about thirty-six inches long and thirty inches wide. Nine blocks of blue, green, brown, red, and yellow were arranged in three rows. A small border of dark green followed the outline of the blocks.

"It's beautiful, Ginny," Harry whispered.

Ginny nodded, running a hand gently over it. "It is. I never saw Mum working on it. Of course, I was gone most of the day there for a while. After that, she must have either worked in the mornings while I was with you, or she waited until I went to bed."

"She wanted you to have a little taste of home while you were away," Mr. Weasley said upon returning from the house. "Your Mum will be out in a minute."

"Thanks, Dad," Ginny whispered, hugging her father.

"I can't top that, but here, Ginny," Ron said, pulling something from beneath the table. "I didn't get the chance to wrap it. Sorry."

The box was passed down the table to Ginny, who opened it and grinned. Harry did, as well, when she pulled out two handfuls of Sugar Quills and Chocolate Frogs.

"Thanks, Ron."

Ron shrugged. "I saw Mum working on the blanket a couple of nights ago. It made me think that you might want something else from here. You know, since their sweets might be different than ours."

"That was very thoughtful, Ronald," Hermione said, impressed, to which Ron shrugged and blushed.

"Forget a birthday there, Harry?" Ron asked, snickering.

Harry blushed crimson as many pairs of eyes landed on him. Ginny laced her fingers with his and squeezed.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "And here I was thinking maybe you'd grown up, at least a little."

"You need to think before you speak," Ginny retorted. "I didn't give his gift to him in public, remember? Apparently, it didn't occur to you that he might feel the same way. And really, he doesn't have to get me _anything_. That's not why we're together."

"I _do_ have something for you, Ginny, you know that, but yes, I'd rather give it to you in private."

"There, see?" Ginny nearly gloated. "Stop being an idiot."

Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley brought out the cake—this one shaped like the Burrow—and ice cream, cutting short the sibling argument. Ginny thanked her mum for the blanket with a hug. Once the cake and ice cream was consumed, Ginny—to Harry's amusement—dragged him off into the house, up the stairs, and to her room. Once her door was shut, she whirled to face him.

"Alright, so, hand it over," she said, grinning. "I've been waiting for this since your birthday."

Laughing, Harry drew the small box from his pocket. "Here. Happy birthday, Ginny."

Harry waited, still grinning, while Ginny tore away the wrapping paper and opened the box. She gasped, her eyes finding his. Then, to his relief, she began to laugh.

"Now you see why I had laughed when I saw what you'd given me."

"Yes, I do. It's perfect. Thank you, Harry." Ginny plucked the Claddagh ring from the box. "I love the design, the way it splits at the shoulders, and the way the Claddagh starts on the bottom left and runs up to the right."

"Good. I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. But, hang on. You touched this. You had to have. Is it not silver?"

Harry shrugged, feeling a bit stupid. "Honestly, I never really thought about it. I just saw it and thought it was perfect for you. Maybe it isn't actually silver. Let's find out."

"No, Harry, don't—"

Harry plucked the ring out of its box before she could physically stop him, and immediately wished he hadn't. His fingers burned intensely. Ginny quickly took the ring from him and set it aside. Harry studied the fat blisters forming on his fingers. Well, at least they knew it was real silver. After calling his wand, he healed his fingers, thankful for the book of healing spells he'd received for his birthday.

"See, I'm fine. No harm done. And now we know it's real silver," he said after stowing his wand again.

"No harm done?!" Ginny looked positively murderous, her hands on her hips. Harry backed up a few steps. "No harm done?! Oh, there was harm done. One look at your fingers proves it. You shouldn't have done that."

"We needed to know, Ginny."

"You didn't need to hurt yourself. Do you think I like seeing you hurt?"

"I wasn't hurt that much," Harry argued, bringing his hands up to slide into her hair.

Ginny caught his right wrist and stared at the fingers that had blistered. Even now, after his healing, the sores were still noticeable, the skin around them still red. "It was obviously bad enough." Ginny dropped his hand to cup his face, her expression pleading. "Please promise me not to ever do something so stupid again. I hurt when you hurt."

"I can't promise that," Harry said with a self-deprecating grin. "I can do some fairly stupid things sometimes. I don't want to make that promise only to end up breaking it."

"Then, promise me that you'll think very carefully before you do something stupid."

"That I can promise. Unless, of course, it's instinctual. Then, I make no guarantees."

Ginny sighed. "Good enough, I suppose." With a gentle tug, she pulled his lips down to hers.

The slamming of a door downstairs broke them apart. Harry looked at the ring still resting on Ginny's desk where she'd put. He wanted to put it on her finger the way she'd done for him. He was tempted to just pick it up and slide it into place despite the physical pain of doing so, not to mention the tongue-lashing he'd likely get.

"Don't even think about it, Harry," Ginny warned. Harry returned his gaze to hers with brows raised. Ginny snorted. "You think I can't read your mind? It's obvious what you're thinking. I'd like for you to put it on me, too, but you're not touching it. Not unless there's something between your skin and the ring." She searched her room for an idea of what they could use. Her eyes landed on her suitcase. "I think I know just the thing."

Harry could only watch as Ginny pulled out some clothes in search of whatever it was she was thinking of using. His eyes strayed back to the ring still sitting so innocently where it had been left. He wondered if he moved quickly enough, could he grab the ring, rush to Ginny, and slide it onto her finger before the pain became too intense? Yes, she'd be mad at him, but at least he would have been able to personally put it on her. The other way seemed too, well, impersonal. He mentally berated himself for not checking the ring's metal content with the clerk. Now, he would never be able to touch her hand.

"Aha! Here. Let's use this."

Ginny brought over a very thin, well-worn shirt, holding it out for him to take. Reluctantly, Harry took the shirt. Even though her shirt was thin, he still fumbled the ring, unable to really hold it properly. Without thinking, Harry slipped his hand inside the shirt. With only one layer of material to contend with, he found he could hold the ring much better. Then, he realized his hand was _inside_ Ginny's shirt, and he blushed crimson.

"It's alright, Harry. It's not like I'm wearing it."

The visual that popped into his head made his breath catch, his heart pound, and—of course—caused a different sort of physical reaction. No, no, no! Get that thought out of your head, Potter! That's not happening! However, the emotional side of his brain ignored the logical half because he suddenly wanted to snog her senseless. His hands began to tremble.

Licking his lips, Harry inhaled deeply in an effort to gain some control. He fervently hoped Ginny hadn't noticed anything. Clearing his throat, he concentrated on getting a good grip on the ring, then sliding it on her right ring finger, the point of the heart facing her. It was such an intimate gesture, and it made the need to kiss her that much more difficult to control. Her eyes remained locked onto his, and he could see something in them, but he couldn't figure out what it was, though truthfully, he didn't spend a lot of time trying.

Harry started to lean forward to kiss her, but lifted his head at the last moment and kissed her forehead instead. He couldn't kiss her properly now, not while he was feeling so out of control. There was no telling what he'd end up doing or where his hands would wander to. He felt her lean close, and he took a precautionary half-step back, keeping some distance between them.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, looking up at him, confused.

"Sorry, Ginny. I just..." He winced as he tried to think of what to say without giving himself completely away. "I _want_ to kiss you. I do. Just...give me a minute, okay?"

"Sure, Harry," she said, searching his eyes, likely looking for an answer to what was going on.

A minute or two later, he felt calm enough to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a hug. When he kissed her, it was leisurely like their normal kisses, rather than the supernova it would have been.

"Harry?! Do I really need to come up there? Are you sure you and I don't need to have a chat?"

Sirius sounding so put-upon made Harry laugh, effectively ending their kiss. "No, Sirius, you don't need to come up here!" he called out after opening Ginny's door. "And no, we don't need to talk."

The two teens left Ginny's room once Ginny returned the shirt they'd used back to her suitcase. Joining Sirius at the bottom of the stairs, Ginny showed off her ring, mentioning the mystery of how Harry had been able to touch it since it was made of silver.

"Maybe I never actually touched the ring, Ginny. Maybe I only ever touched the box it was in. I really don't remember."

"That's probably it," Sirius agreed.

"Well, it doesn't change the fact that Harry can't touch it, and if I wear it, then I'd have to be extra careful not to touch him with it."

Sirius thought a moment. "If there was time, I'd say send it to a Wizarding jeweler to have some kind of spell put on it, like the one done to Sickles. That's not an option, unfortunately. Do you think Bill would know a spell to use? Having to deal with all kinds of curses on treasures, surely he'd know some kind of protective spell."

"That's a good idea. Come on, Harry, let's go see."

They found Bill, and after pulling him aside, Ginny told him of their problem, asking if he knew a way around it. Luckily, he did. Holding the ring in his hand, Bill waved his wand over it and spoke an incantation Harry never heard before. Then, he held it out to Harry.

"Try it now."

Harry reached for the ring with his right hand, but Ginny stopped him. "Use your other hand, Harry. You already have blisters on your right hand."

Cautiously, Harry picked up the ring. He felt nothing but smooth metal. Grinning, he handed it to Ginny, who simply held her hand out, palm down, effectively telling him to put it on her finger himself. Grin turning into a full-fledged smile, he happily obliged.

"Nice choice in gifts, Harry," Bill said, drawing their attention. "Let me see your right hand. Maybe I can heal it."

"Oh, it's fine, Bill. I used _Episkey_ on my fingers." He held up his hand to show the elder Weasley.

"Well, maybe I can heal them further." With a quick wave of Bill's wand, the blister remnants disappeared completely, though a slight redness remained. "There. See? Much better. The redness will go away in time, as I'm sure you know."

"Yeah, thanks, Bill."

"You're welcome. Glad I could help."

Not long after that, Neville said his goodbyes, and Harry thanked Neville for being a good friend. Ginny convinced her mum to let her take Harry down to the village with Sirius as chaperon. It surprised Harry that it wasn't that far of a walk into Ottery St. Catchpole. Ginny pointed out a few shops, but it was obvious she had one place on her mind. Once they stood outside the shop where Ginny worked the first part of the summer holidays, Sirius volunteered to wait for them at the door. Ginny led him inside.

"Dia duit, Ginny! Welcome back!"

Looking towards the counter, Harry saw a short woman with light brown hair coming their way. She wore brown trousers, white shirt, brown sandals, and a wooden beaded necklace. He smiled when the woman gave Ginny a quick hug. Then, the woman eyed him.

"So, this be the young fella you told me about. Yes, he's every bit as handsome as you said." She laughed joyfully when Harry blushed. Her eyes dipped, then returned to his. "You be wearin' the ring, I see. It suits you."

Ginny held her hand up. "Look what Harry gave me for my birthday."

The woman, Aisling, laughed again and said with a wink to Ginny, "See, I told you that you were meant to buy that ring. When was your birthday?"

"Today, actually."

"Well, happy birthday, then. Why don't you go and pick somethin' out, as a present from me. There's more in the back if you don't find anythin' to your likin'."

"Oh, Aisling, I couldn't do that."

"Sure you can. I insist. You know where everythin' is."

Aisling walked away, presumably to let Ginny browse in peace. Ginny stood rooted to her spot a moment before halfheartedly wandering around. Harry followed two steps behind, lost in thought. Did Ginny really talk about him? Did she really say he was handsome? The idea of her talking like that about him to someone equally embarrassed him and delighted him. Cheshire Cat grin stretching his lips, he joined Ginny over in the jewelry section of the shop, the nearly uncontrollable urge to whistle coming over him.

"Find anything?" Harry asked her.

"I think so. I just feel odd taking it. I know she told me to, but I still feel weird doing it."

Harry indicated the stack of shelves in front of them. "Which one are you looking at?"

"That one."

Harry followed her finger and saw a silver bracelet with a small, flat heart-shaped charm dangling at the clasp. Bisecting the heart was a lightning bolt. The left side of the heart was red-orange like the best fire opal, while the right side was peridot green. As carefully as he could so as not to touch any of the other pieces, Harry picked up the display stand around which the bracelet was wrapped.

Holding it out for Ginny, he urged, "Try it on. You won't know if you like it otherwise."

"I'm going to need your help putting it on." Harry's brows jumped in surprise until she followed her statement with, "Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention that this is Aishling's stainless steel section. Your ring came from this shelf." Ginny looked him directly in the eyes. "I would never ask you to touch something that I knew would hurt you."

"I know. Really, I do. I guess it's just automatic. I'm still not used to the idea of other materials being used for jewelry." Harry snorted. " _That_ was deja vu. You're going to have to keep reminding me."

"No worries, Harry. I will gladly do so."

Once he secured the bracelet around her wrist, he read the description card attached to the stand and snorted again. If he'd simply bothered to read the card once he'd taken the bracelet off the shelf, he'd have known what material had been used to create it.

"It says here that the bracelet is seven inches long, made of stainless steel—which we knew—and the chain's design of a repeating pattern of three short links followed by one long one is called the Figaro design." Watching as the bracelet in question freely slid an inch or two on Ginny's wrist, he declared, "I like it. I think it's pretty. It looks nice on you, too."

"Listen to your young fella, Ginny. That bracelet was made for you. Take it."

"Are you certain?"

"Of course. Unless, you don't like it."

"Oh, I do."

"Then, take it, young wan."

Ginny thanked Aisling, they chatted a little longer, then it was time to go. The pair of them walked back to the Burrow with Sirius bringing up the rear, several steps behind. Upon returning, Harry said goodbye to the Weasleys, hugging Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and thanking them for their kindness towards him. He also thanked them for allowing Ginny to go with him, promising to look out for her—much to Ginny's displeasure.

Harry shook Bill's hand and thanked him for the help he'd given to them. A glaring look from Charlie told Harry he shouldn't waste his time, but Harry had to try one last time.

"Charlie, thank you for being nice to me, for accepting me so readily. I'm sorry things have come to this. I realize you believe you have Ginny's best interests at heart, and I thank you for being the type of big brother who wants to look out for his sister. I wish I knew what to say to ease your mind, but I just don't. I hope you can come to see how wrong your assumptions are."

Knowing he wouldn't get a response from the stony-eyed Weasley, Harry moved to Percy. He thanked the middle Weasley for treating him as if he was any other student. To the twins, Harry said he'd be sure to promote whatever products they had so far, and thanked them for making him laugh, stating he'd needed that very much. Harry shook Ron's hand, but laughed when the youngest male Weasley pulled him into a one-armed hug.

"Save it, Harry," Ron joked feebly. "I don't need you getting all mushy. I have my mirror. We'll talk again."

When he turned to Hermione, he ended up getting an armful. She fiercely hugged him, and he was certain he heard her sniffle. When she pulled back, a tear had already escaped down her cheek.

"I'm going to miss you, Harry. I wish I hadn't treated you so badly at the beginning of the school year."

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. In the end, you became one of my closest friends. That's what counts. Like Ron said, you have your mirror. We'll talk again." He gave her a cheeky grin. "Besides, I'm thinking I'll best your scores this school year."

Hermione chuckled, but Harry could see the light of determination in her eyes. "We'll see."

"Just don't spend all your time revising, yeah? If you promise to give yourself plenty of free time, I'll share with you whatever spells I learn, show you by way of the mirror how to cast them."

"It's a deal."

Harry grinned, knowing full well she'd accept his challenge. "Good. We'll contact you when we can. We won't always be able to since we'll need to contact Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, too. Remember that it's a six hour time difference. It'll be later here than it will be there."

Hermione nodded. "I wrote it down when you first told us you were going. Nothing specific, just 'six hour difference.' That way, anyone who saw it wouldn't know what I was referring to."

"Alright, well, I guess this is goodbye for now. I still have some last minute packing to do, and it's going to be a very early morning. Knowing Sirius, he'll get me up extra early and make me do some sit-ups or something."

Hermione chuckled a little, which helped to lighten the mood. Harry turned his attention to his girlfriend. Mindful of everyone watching, he simply hugged her.

"I'll see you in the morning, Ginny."

"Yes, you will. I'm sorry about Charlie. I don't know what his problem is."

"Don't apologize for him. He's worried. I can understand that."

Ginny pulled back, shaking her head. "You're much too nice. Anyway, go." Softly, she said, "Tá grá agam duit."

Harry smiled, happy he knew what she said and how to respond. "I gcónaí." Then, feeling cheeky and wanting to show off a bit, he added, "Grá mo chroí."

Ginny beamed at him. He'd called her the love of his heart. "Go raibh maith agat."

Still grinning, Harry replied. "Tá fáilte romhat."

Ginny laughed at Hermione and Ron's expressions of confusion, and Harry joined her. "Bye, Ginny."

Harry left with Sirius, actually looking forward to the start of their trip.


	4. Far From Home

_**May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.**_

 _ **-Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey**_

Harry checked his pocket for the hundredth time since arriving at the airport, and, like he did the ninety-nine times prior, he sighed in relief. Sirius had drilled it into his and Ginny's heads to _not_ lose their passports. Those little books were their identification, and his and Ginny's entry into the United States relied on them. Sirius had brought Ginny back to the house with him, shrunk their suitcases to the size of a deck of cards so they could be stuffed into pockets, then handed over the little books.

Upon flipping open the passport, Harry saw a name that wasn't his, paired with a face that wasn't his. Sirius explained, the three of them would be in disguise. Harry would have blonde hair, blue eyes and glasses, while Ginny's hair would be dark brown. Her eyes were darkened to a chocolate shade. Harry now had to answer to Henry Jordan Blalock. Ginny's new name was Gwendolyn Macy Watkins.

Sirius had also changed his appearance and name. He now sported light brown hair and blue eyes, and he was to be called Silas Oliver Blakeslee. Harry shook his head. It startled him every time he looked at Sirius. No, he had to think of Sirius as Silas for the aeroplane trip. He really needed to get that straight in his head before he messed up.

Looking to Ginny wasn't any better. Gone was her fiery hair, all her freckles that he thought were adorable, and though he liked the dark brown color chosen for her eyes, Harry preferred their natural color. It was so much easier to read them. At least this was only temporary, to help them have a clean break from England. This way, there was a lower chance of being discovered and followed.

So, here Harry sat as they waited for the announcement to board their plane, ticket clutched tightly in his hand, carry-on bag at his feet. He glanced nervously around, checking out the other people gathered at the gate to see if any of them were paying him, Ginny or Sirius any attention. Most people were reading, listening to music or fiddling with their mobile phones.

Feeling on edge, Harry joined Ginny at the bank of windows, watching the occasional aeroplane pass by.

"Alright, Gi—Gwen?"

Ginny turned to him, a small smile at his slip tilting the corners of her lips. "Surprisingly, yes. Mum made it a bit easier by treating it as some great adventure, like an extended holiday. She cried, but I think she was excited for me, too."

Harry relaxed slightly at the news. He'd been worried it had been a rough goodbye that morning. This was the first chance he'd been able to actually talk to her. He looked out at the aeroplane sitting outside their window, waiting to be boarded. It was much bigger than he'd expected, never having seen one up close, and it was a little scary, even with the knowledge they could Apparate away if anything went wrong. How did Muggles stand it? It was such a huge risk to lock themselves into a giant tube, and fly tens of thousands of feet above the ground, leaving their safety in the hands of others. Harry couldn't say definitively if he'd do it had he not been a wizard.

"What about you? Are you alright?"

Harry returned his attention to Ginny. She was looking up at him, dark eyes searching his blue ones. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm not the one leaving anyone behind."

Ginny's brow creased, and her hands landed at her hips. "Don't give me that." Just as quickly, her frown turned to concern, and she softly said, "You're leaving family behind, too. The only difference is that I can still see mine."

Harry shrugged. He wasn't sure why, but leaving was hitting him harder than he thought it would. "I will be fine. Right now... I don't know. I'm excited, yes, but it's more difficult than I thought it would be to get on that aeroplane. I thought I was ready."

Ginny gently squeezed his hand. "Is anyone ever truly ready to leave behind all that one knows?"

"I just... I feel like I convinced everyone this was the thing to do, and now I'm letting everyone down by feeling so reluctant to follow through."

Harry stared into her deep brown eyes, unable to look away from the conviction he saw in them. He didn't move when her hands came up to cup his face.

"You made the decision because you _knew_ it was the right thing to do. _That's_ what convinced the rest of us. You're not letting anyone down by feeling the way you are. It's natural."

Harry let out a chuckle. "And here I thought I'd be the one to comfort _you_." Leaning close, he whispered in her ear, "Thanks, Ginny." As he straightened, he kissed the corner of her mouth. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out." Her expression brightened when she smiled. "Now, just think about how jealous my dad is that we get to fly on an aeroplane. He's always been fascinated with them."

Harry laughed, pulling Ginny close. "Thanks for that. You're right. This is the right thing to do, and yes, I imagine your dad will be full of questions when you talk to him."

A few minutes later, passengers were called to board. Harry, Ginny, and Sirius were able to board before a majority of the others due to the fact they were flying First Class. Harry marveled at the spacious cabin, with its dark blue carpet and beige chest-high dividers. A crew member led them to one of the curvy roughly S-shaped dividers. A pair of seats nestled in the bottom curve of the S, while a single seat was tucked into the top curve and faced the opposite direction of the seat pair. Sirius motioned for Harry and Ginny to take the pair, so Harry let Ginny have the window seat, and sat, dropping his carry-on at his feet.

Ginny dropped her own carry-on and sat in her own seat, looking out the smallish rectangular window. Harry, too, looked out the window. The crew member who showed them to their seats said their cabin was right behind the flight deck. In other words, they weren't too far behind the pilot of the aeroplane, which piqued Harry's curiosity as to how that area looked.

"So, what do you think?" Sirius asked, standing with his arms propped on the dividing wall.

"It's nice, but then, I don't have any aeroplane experience to compare this to. I do like that the seats recline a bit, and that there's plenty of room without feeling cramped."

"Yeah, that's why we're flying First Class. Economy Class is so cramped you're practically in each other's laps." He tapped the divider with his palm. "Well, settle in. It's a long flight. Use the loo if you need to. It's just over there." Sirius pointed up toward the door they'd come through.

"That's a good idea," Harry mumbled and headed that way.

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Both he and Ginny watched out the window as their aeroplane picked up speed, clutching the other's hand. Harry nearly held his breath as the ground slowly fell away, his heart pounding. As buildings and trees shrank to miniature proportions, Ginny turned away from the window, burying her face in his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist.

Harry held her close. "Alright, Ginny?" he whispered.

Ginny nodded, tilting her head so she could be heard. "I've just never been this high up before, and we're still climbing."

Harry reached over and pulled the shutter down to cover the window. "Do you want a book or maybe some of your music?"

"Maybe in a few minutes."

"Sure."

The fear rolled off her, so Harry furiously tried to think of some way to comfort her. The only thing he could think of was... Gently maneuvering around as much as his seat belt would allow so that he could tilt her head up, Harry leaned down and kissed her.

Several minutes passed before they parted. Ginny smiled up at him. "Nice touch, Harry. I think I like that distraction. We're still climbing, though. I need to be distracted again."

Harry grinned and leaned close once more. The seat belts restricted their ability to fully turn toward the other, making the kiss a bit awkward, but neither teen cared.

"Am I going to have to get some cold water and pour it on you two?"

Harry pulled away from the highly entertaining activity he'd been engaged in, his face burning at having been caught. The two of them had, apparently, spent their entire ascent to cruising altitude "distracting" the other.

"No, _Silas_. We were simply distracting each other so we didn't think about how far off the ground we are."

Sirius' lips stretched wide. "Yes, well, I think it's time you find something _else_ to distract yourselves with."

With a sheepish grin, Harry nodded and reached for his bag. Deciding on some music, Harry pulled out his CD player and one of the discs he purchased two days ago. Slipping on the headphones, he partially reclined his seat, made himself comfortable, and, closing his eyes, finally relaxed.

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New York City was a raucous, bustling place, and it gave Harry a bit of a headache. Still, he couldn't keep from watching the scenery fly by outside his taxi window, ignoring the chitchat between Sirius and their driver. People were everywhere! Vehicles were everywhere! How did anyone live in this noisy, crowded place? Harry desperately hoped this wasn't their destination. He didn't know if he could take it.

One look at Ginny told him she had similar thoughts. Her darting eyes were wide, mouth slightly open, but her overall expression was one of horror and distaste. She looked up at him and leaned a few inches to whisper in his ear.

"I hope we're not staying here. This place is barmy."

"I know. I feel like a little insect with all those skyscrapers." Harry craned his neck to try to see the tops of the buildings.

"Yeah, I do, too. How's the headache?"

Harry's gaze focused on Ginny, surprised. He thought he'd hid it well. "How did you know?"

"Oh, please. After you had trouble at the World Cup, it made sense that you would have more trouble here."

"Yeah, I suppose. I'll be fine as soon as I can get away from the noise."

Thirty minutes later, the three of them arrived at their hotel. Climbing out of the car, Harry took a moment to stretch. He'd walked around on the plane, but it wasn't enough to counter the effects of sitting for so long. The brick hotel was, if Harry had to guess, about average size and had a portico—which was where their taxi stopped—leading into the lobby. Sirius paid the driver, then led the others inside.

The lobby was spacious, with windows above them to allow a fair amount of sunshine in. The floor, surprisingly, was made of a reddish stone rather than being carpeted. Sirius picked up their room key, chatting with the clerk for a moment. She smiled hugely as if she knew him. Harry pondered that. She couldn't possibly know Sirius. Sirius returned and led them to some lifts. They didn't have long to wait before one opened, disgorging a family of four.

Inside the lift, Sirius pushed the button marked with a number two, then sighed. "I keep forgetting that over here, the ground floor is the first floor. We're actually another floor up." He jabbed his finger at the number three. "Alright, Harry? Headache?"

"We can use our real names now?"

"I don't see why not. I'll remove the glamours, as well, once we get to the room."

"Good, because I hated thinking of myself as Henry."

"Gwendolyn was okay, I suppose. It's not far from Guinevere, which is what Ginevra is. It's just a different version of it."

Harry, brows raised, studied Ginny a moment. "I didn't know that." He snickered. "If you're Guinevere, does that make me Lancelot?"

The lift dinged and the doors opened, but they ignored it as it wasn't their floor. After a moment, the doors closed again.

Ginny wrinkled her nose, obviously not liking the comparison. "The way _they_ ended, with Lancelot living like a hermit and Guinevere in a nunnery? No." Her expression turned cheeky. "Unless you want to rewrite their story so that there's a better ending."

"I definitely like the 'better ending' part." Putting on his best gallant air, he said, "I'll gladly rescue my fair lady whenever she finds herself in a spot of trouble." In his normal voice, he added, "That is, if she couldn't do it herself."

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "Good save, kiddo." The doors opened on their floor with a ding. "Here's our floor."

As it turned out, their room was four doors down from the lifts. After unlocking their door, the three of them filed inside. Harry peaked into the loo as he passed. It wasn't small, but not big, either. In the main part of the room, two big beds took up a majority of the blue-carpeted floor. A telly was positioned across from the beds. A small desk and chair stood to the right of the telly. Up against what was the loo's wall, and to the left of the beds, a sofa stood. Light from the window next to the right-most bed streamed in.

Harry dropped his bag and collapsed onto the white-covered bed with a moan. "It feels really good to be able to lie down."

"I know that was a long trip. It's only starting, however. Don't worry. There'll be rest in between. Let me have your passports. I'll remove the glamours on them and then on us. Also, give me your suitcases and I'll enlarge them."

Sirius enlarged all of their suitcases, removed the glamours on the passports and handed them back. Then, he waved his wand over each of them to restore their natural appearances. Harry felt a slight tingling sensation that told him he was back to normal. At the moment, he was feeling too drowsy to care. He removed his glasses to rub at his eyes, suppressing a yawn.

"Get some rest, Harry. You'll feel better."

Harry nodded, dropped his glasses onto the bedside table, and lay down. Within seconds, he drifted off to sleep.

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"Ginny, is something wrong?"

Ginny turned away from the big bed she'd been staring at. She had yet to let go of her carry-on bag, unsure of what to do with it, but mostly unsure of the sleeping arrangements. She shook her head, not knowing how to say what was bothering her, but her gaze flickered between the beds, heat staining her cheeks.

"Ah. I think I understand. The other bed is yours, Ginny. I plan on taking the sofa—after transfiguring it, of course. Tonight, I'll put up something between the beds if that makes you feel any better."

"Are you sure? I don't mind taking the sofa. I'm smaller than you."

"Ginny, my plan all along was for the two of you to take the beds. That sofa will fit me fine with a few adjustments. Besides, my Animagus form is a dog. I can sleep anywhere."

Nodding her acceptance, Ginny lightly dropped her bag next to the bed, not wanting to wake Harry. She knew he must have had a bad headache. All the noise was nearly enough to give _her_ a headache, and she didn't have sensitive hearing. She couldn't begin to imagine how bad it was for him. Honestly, it surprised her a little that Sirius hadn't figured out some way to help Harry in that regard. Maybe he was working on something.

"Would you like to talk to your mum, let her know we're here?"

Ginny whirled around to face Sirius, excited. "Can I?"

"Sure, as long as you don't say exactly where we are. That still can't get out just yet."

"I understand." She waited as patiently as she could while Sirius rummaged through the contents in Harry's shoulder bag. Taking the mirror gratefully, she plopped onto the bed and called her mum.

"I'm going to check things out," Sirius said, waving his hand back and forth. "I want to know what's around us. I'll be back. Don't leave the room."

"I won't." Ginny turned back to the mirror just in time to see her mum's face come into view. "Mum!" she squealed, then immediately checked to see if she'd awakened Harry. He slept on.

"Hello, Ginny! How was your trip?"

"Long, but not too bad."

"Where are you?"

"I can't say, Mum. Sorry. Sirius is still wanting to keep things quiet. We're in a hotel right now. Take a look." Ginny turned the mirror around and stood with her back to the window so that her mum couldn't see any landmarks outside. "It's kind of nice."

"Is something wrong with Harry? Is it that late there? I thought your time was behind ours. That's what I recall Sirius saying."

Ginny flipped the mirror back around. "It's not late here." She had to glance at the clock on the desk to see what time it was. "It's almost half nine here. Harry had a headache so he's resting."

"I didn't see Sirius. Where is he?"

"He's looking around. He said he wanted to see what was around us."

" _And he left you alone?!_ "

Ginny cringed at her mother's angry yell. "Shhhh. Don't wake Harry, Mum. I'm sure Sirius didn't go far. He wanted to be comfortable with everything. Would you rather him be clueless about where to go if we needed to leave?"

"No, I suppose not." Mrs. Weasley's anxious expression morphed into a fierce look. "You had better behave yourself, young lady, seeing as there aren't any curtains separating those beds."

Ginny simply stared at her mum. "That didn't really make much sense. Curtains aren't going to stop someone from doing something if they really wanted to. I'm not talking about me or Harry, just generally speaking."

"Well, regardless, you'd better act like a young lady."

"I will, Mum," Ginny assured her mother, trying desperately to not let her exasperation show. "You don't have to tell me that."

"Well, sometimes, boys will—"

"Not Harry, Mum. Besides, Sirius will be around, remember?" Ginny yawned. "I think I'm going to lie down, too. I'm feeling really tired all of a sudden. Sirius mentioned something called jet lag. It makes you feel tired after a long flight."

"Alright, Ginny. Be good. Be safe. Have fun. I miss you already."

"I miss you, too, Mum, and we will be safe. I'll be good. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye."

"Bye."

That one word was difficult to get out. Her vision blurred momentarily. No. No tears. It was really no different than going to Hogwarts for the school year. At least this way, she could actually talk to her mum. Setting the mirror on the desk, Ginny crawled onto the bed, and dropped her head onto the pillow. Harry was right. It did feel good to lie down. Sighing as her body relaxed, she closed her eyes.

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Harry startled awake, already whispering the words required to retrieve his wand and reaching for his glasses.

"Alright, Harry?"

Harry rolled over. Ginny sat on the other bed, book open in her lap, gaze filled with concern. "Yeah, fine. I don't know why I woke up so suddenly." Running a hand down his face as he tried to wake up, he returned his wand to its resting place against his arm. "How long did I sleep?"

"Nearly two hours. How's your head?"

"Better." Harry spied Sirius lying on the sofa-turned-bed. "Did you get any sleep, Ginny?"

"I did. I talked to Mum a few minutes, then felt tired, so I lay down for a bit."

"I'm glad you were able to talk to her. How did it go?"

"It was fine. The usual 'be good, have fun,' etc."

"Anyone hungry?" Sirius asked from his bed, sounding still half-asleep.

"Starving, actually," Harry replied. Ginny nodded her agreement.

"Good. Let's go down to the hotel restaurant."

Harry's stomach agreed quite loudly with that suggestion. After making a quick stop in the loo, Harry followed the other two out of the room. They had to take a lift down to the ground floor—first floor—whatever one wanted to call it. Finding a table, the trio took their seats and perused their menus.

"Sirius, did you know that woman at the counter when you picked up our key?"

"No. We were technically too early for check-in. I had to get friendly and bribe her a little. Since our room was ready, she took the money and let us have the key."

"Oh. Okay. I wondered about that."

A girl not much older than Harry came by to take their orders. She continually glanced his way and smiled at him. That is, she did until Ginny scooted her chair close to his. Harry was glad she did, for the other girl had started to make him uncomfortable, despite the fact that, deep down, in a place he'd never admit to, he kind of liked the attention. Even he wasn't so thick as to not recognize the flirtation. It was a supreme ego boost.

Sirius snickered once the girl left. "I think you effectively made your point, Ginny."

Their food arrived a short while later and the three of them concentrated on filling their empty stomachs.

0000000000

"Harry, let me try something." They'd returned to their room after a quick tour of the hotel. "I've been working on a spell similar to _Muffliato_ that I think will help you. I've been using myself as the test subject because I didn't want to get your hopes up. I think I've figured out the right incantation for it. It should help lower the noise level. We won't know if it actually works until we get out there, though."

Harry shrugged. It was worth it to have Sirius try. Standing very still, Harry let Sirius wave his wand in a circular motion next to one ear, then the other. Harry didn't notice any difference, but then, there wasn't an overabundance of sound in their room, either.

Stepping away, Sirius eyed him. "Ready to see if it worked?"

"Sure."

"Good, because I have tickets to the theater, an early matinee performance. Ginny, you can have the shower first. Wear one of your dresses. People usually dress a little nicer to these things."

"What's the name of the play?"

"It's a musical, actually." Sirius' lips twitched. "Beauty and the Beast."

Harry stared, expressionless, at his godfather a moment, not sure whether he was being pranked, before turning his attention to Ginny. She looked as if she didn't know whether to laugh or not. A giggle escaped her control, and that was all it took before the three of them were laughing heartily.

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Ginny stepped out of the loo, hair freshly washed and dried using a handy little domestic spell, wearing her black dress. Harry barely managed not to gape. Her long hair had a bit of extra shine and so did her lips. Her hair was pulled back away from her face and tied at her nape. He couldn't help but watch her as she passed him. She hadn't simply pulled her hair into a ponytail like he'd first thought. No, the sides were pulled back and looked to be woven in some way with the rest of her hair for a couple of inches, _then_ tied into a ponytail, but whatever she used was hidden somewhere under the braiding. Harry had no clue how it was done. He just knew it was really nice. The rest of her hair hung down her back with a slight curl at the end.

Harry blinked, coming back to himself, when a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Your turn, kiddo, and maybe make it a cold one, yeah?"

Blushing furiously, Harry grabbed what he needed for his shower and ducked into the loo. Afterwards, he dressed in a pair of black trousers, white dress shirt buttoned all the way up, and dark charcoal gray blazer. He sighed in frustration after unsuccessfully getting his freshly washed hair to lie flat. Well, there was nothing for it. He'd just have to go to the theater with it the way it was.

Harry left the loo and Sirius went in to get his own shower. As Harry busied himself sliding his black belt through the proper loops—and having to start over again due to missed loops—he didn't see the appreciative once-over Ginny gave him. It wasn't until after he put on his socks and black court shoes that he looked up to find Ginny watching him. Fighting the heat that threatened to flood his cheeks, he glanced away, though the idea pleased him.

"You look nice, Harry."

"Thanks. You look really pretty."

"Thanks," Ginny replied shyly. "Have you ever been to the theater before?"

"No. There was rarely extra money growing up. We managed a few things, but the theater wasn't one of them."

"Which is why," Sirius said, coming out of the loo, dressed similarly in style to Harry, "we are splurging on this trip. You both deserve more than you had." Harry opened his mouth to respond, but Sirius held up a hand to stop him. "I'm not saying that Remus didn't do the best he could, Harry. Actually, he did fairly well, all things considered. I just mean that you both deserve to be spoiled a bit." Harry, now understanding what Sirius meant, nodded his acceptance. "Ginny, I meant no disrespect to your parents, either. They've done a remarkable job with what they've had."

Ginny smiled. "I didn't think you had meant to insult my parents, Sirius."

"Good. I have the means to make this trip fun and enjoyable, and I have every intention of doing so." After a quick glance at his watch, he said, "We need to go."

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"So, Harry, did the spell work?"

"Yeah, it helped a lot. Thanks."

"Glad it worked. So, what did you think of the musical?"

They were back in the hotel room and in their casual clothes again. Ginny, sitting on her bed, looked up. "I thought it was good. The actors were very talented. Great love story." A thought popped into her head and she giggled. Did she dare say it? Oh, why not? "Every girl should find herself a beast."

Sirius barked in laughter. Ginny laughed, too, and ducked the pillow that came flying her way courtesy of Harry, though he did have a smile on his face. Picking up the pillow, she launched it back at him, catching him by surprise and hitting him in the face. Her retaliation brought about a war, each of them hurling fluffy bullets at each other as the pillows landed beside them.

It was a fast and furious battle, but it was short-lived, ending by mutual agreement. Exhausted suddenly, Ginny yawned. Feeling as if she hadn't slept in days, she stared morosely out the window at the bright daylight. It was only six o'clock. How was she ever going to get used to the time difference? It was a good thing they ate dinner after the performance.

"Why don't we all go to bed? Granted, it's early here, but it's midnight at home. I can close those heavy drapes to make it fairly dark in here."

"Sounds good to me," Ginny said through a yawn.

Harry agreed, unsuccessfully stifling his own yawn. While Sirius used the duvet from Harry's bed to hang as a divider between the beds, Ginny disappeared into the loo to change into her sleeping attire. When she came out, a white "curtain" hid her bed from view and the drapes were pulled closed, leaving the room a fair bit darker than it was.

"Thanks, Sirius."

"No, need to thank me."

"Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Ginny. Sleep well."

"I'm sure I will."

Yawning again, Ginny climbed into bed. As she lay there, her mind drifted over the events of the day, despite being utterly knackered. She couldn't believe that she'd awakened that morning in her own bed at home, and now, here she was, in a hotel room, with her boyfriend in the bed next to hers—so close she could almost reach out and touch him—and his godfather on a sofa transfigured into a bed. An ocean stood between her and everything she knew. Yet, she didn't feel sad. The day had been a good one. The flight had ultimately been uneventful. Ginny giggled quietly as she thought of Harry's method of calming her nerves. It had certainly worked.

Being able to talk to her mum really helped to keep Ginny from being too upset. Her mum was still acting as if it was a grand adventure, though Ginny preferred this Mum to a weeping Mum. Ginny rolled her eyes at having been reminded to behave herself and act as she was raised to act. As if she needed that reminder.

The theater was nice and the musical was good. Ginny, obviously, could relate to Belle, who was able to look past what was presented on the outside, to the heart of gold on the inside, finding love in the process. Belle's beast turned out to be a prince with a curse having been cast upon him. Ginny sighed softly, the ghost of a smile on her face. Her own "beast" was also the result of a curse, and he was every bit the prince Belle's was.

She wondered if Harry had noticed any parallels between the characters and themselves. Perhaps he had. As the beast had begun to connect to Belle, Harry had laced his fingers with hers, had squeezed her hand, then had continued to hold it the remainder of the performance. She hadn't been able to keep from toying with his ring. It still thrilled her that he wore it and it probably always would. The smile he'd given her at that moment made her sigh dreamily just thinking about it.

Another yawn interrupted her thoughts. Ordering her mind to think of something calming, like the sound of the river on the edge of her parents' property as it flowed over the rocks, eventually, her eyes drifted shut—only to open again a few hours later. Ginny groaned. She was so tired, but she badly needed the loo.

Sliding on her dressing gown, Ginny slipped out of bed and paused at the edge of the hanging duvet, double checking to see if the other occupants were asleep. Rhythmic breathing met her ears, so she tiptoed past Harry's bed, past the sofa-turned-bed, and ducked into the loo. Once the door closed with a soft click, Ginny used her wand to give herself some light.

After she'd finished and washed her hands, she doused her wandlight. Carefully opening the door, she waited until her vision had adjusted again to the dark before padding into the room. As she passed by Harry's bed, her gaze was drawn to her sleeping boyfriend and her steps faltered. He lay on his back with his right arm outstretched and his left hand resting on his chest. His head was turned slightly toward the right, as well.

Sometime during the last four hours, he'd dislodged his bed coverings so that they now draped across his hips. However, what really held her attention was the decent amount of exposed skin where his shirttail had ridden up, rising and dropping softly with each of his breaths. The soft glow from the clock on his bedside table—why had it been moved from the desk?—gave Ginny enough light to fully appreciate the view she'd been afforded. She'd never seen him without his shirt, although she almost had once when he'd started to use his shirttail to wipe sweat from his face, but then he had thought better of it. Ginny could admit she'd been a little disappointed that he had.

Now, she had the opportunity to look all she wanted and she took it. When he'd first shown up at Hogwarts, he'd been very slender. Now, his body was becoming lean, trim, even more so than the last time she'd noticed his changing physique. She couldn't help but wonder how his chest looked, if it had gained any sort of definition yet. Hopefully soon, she'd get the opportunity to discover the answer to that.

Behind her, Sirius shifted positions. Ginny startled a bit and quickly ducked behind the makeshift privacy screen. Tossing her dressing gown across the foot of the bed, she climbed in and snuggled under the blankets, her heart thumping at almost having been caught staring at her sleeping boyfriend. No, she hadn't been simply staring. She'd been leering, and she certainly didn't want to be caught doing so, but it brought up another interesting thought. Would Sirius lecture her about propriety and hormones, or would he be more lax about it? Ginny fell asleep trying to decide.

0000000000

Sirius grinned when Ginny scurried behind the hanging duvet. He'd awakened instantly to the feeling someone was tiptoeing through the room, though not sensing danger, he'd feigned sleep . It took all of two seconds to realize it was simply Ginny heading to the loo. He'd still been awake when she'd crept past him again, only to stop and stare at Harry. When it became apparent she wasn't going to move anytime soon, he slid his leg across the mattress of his bed.

Ah, hormones. Those wonderfully evil things in the body that make adolescence such a chaotic time for teens and parents, alike. Sirius sighed, his amusement gone. Things were about to get really interesting it seemed. He wasn't blind. He'd noticed during their workouts the looks being passed between the kids when the other wasn't paying attention. And of course, he'd known exactly what the pair had been doing before their return to the tents at the World Cup. After all, he, himself, had passed the time engaged in that very activity much of his time at Hogwarts.

Making this trip with dating teens was going to be difficult enough. Add a dash of hormones and a healthy dose of special circumstances like Harry's, and you have a recipe for a very volatile situation. Randy teens could easily get up to more than they should. Sirius would just need to keep a close eye on things. Thankfully, Harry hadn't shown any interest in Ginny beyond what was normal for his age, but his lycanthropic DNA would assert itself in this aspect sooner or later. Remus had been certain of it, and that was enough to make Sirius certain. He just had to be ready for when it happened.

Sirius blew out a breath, running a hand down his face. He just had to do his best. He really didn't think Harry would do anything with Ginny, but under the influence of all those hormones, there were no guarantees. Sirius stared up at the ceiling and asked his best friends for guidance.

0000000000-Aug 13 Saturday

Harry was excited to do a little sightseeing. There hadn't been enough money growing up to do much of anything or to go to very many places, much less to actually travel to tourist places. Despite the cacophonous roar of the city, Harry found it had a certain appeal to it. He could easily disappear here if he so desired, could become just one more person in a sea of humanity. His name would never bring that look of recognition to someone's eyes, nor would it cause a person to search for his unusually shaped scar—a scar that was all but gone now.

Harry's eyes flew over everything that passed outside his cab window. He had no idea where they were going. Apparently, Sirius was enjoying all the secrecy. It didn't bother Harry because he knew, if it was important, Sirius wouldn't keep it quiet. Harry had the impression Sirius hadn't had a lot of fun, not truly, in a long time. Leaning back in the seat, he let his godfather have his fun. Besides, not knowing where they were headed made it a bit more entertaining.

Traffic made it slow going, but eventually, they crossed a huge bridge, wound their way through more skyscrapers, then arrived at a break in the glass, steel and concrete. It was a park of some sort. Harry didn't care. The greenery was a welcome reprieve from all the grays and blacks of the city. The taxi pulled to a stop and he, Ginny, and Sirius climbed from the back seat, stretching their legs.

Once the cab was paid, Sirius led them through a nice park with walking paths, bench seats with a view of the harbor, fountains, and statuary. Off in the distance, Harry could barely make out something, a large statue, he thought, but wasn't sure. He looked over to Ginny and grinned. Her gaze bounced from side to side, taking it all in. He squeezed the hand he held, bringing her attention to him.

"Having fun?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Good." Harry called to Sirius, who was two steps ahead of them. "So, where are we going?"

Sirius pointed out into the harbor. "See that out there? That's where we're going. Can't come to New York City and not visit the Statue of Liberty. In order to get there, we have to take a ferry."

"What's a ferry?" Ginny asked.

"It's a type of boat. On some, you can drive your car onto it, and it'll take you across a body of water. Then you drive off the boat. This one, however, only carries people. It'll take us out to the island where the statue is. Come on, let's go. The ferry's coming."

A short while later, everyone disembarked at the island. Harry craned his head back to stare up at the statue. "That's brilliant."

"I couldn't get us tickets to the crown area, but I did get us pedestal tickets. There's a museum and an observation deck inside."

Ginny stared up at the statue's head. "I'm not so sure I would have liked going up that far."

"Probably not," Sirius agreed. "I'm not so sure I could have walked up three hundred and fifty-four steps, either."

Harry shook his head. "I certainly wouldn't have."

The trio wandered the museum, then climbed the stairs to the observation deck. Not being much higher than the average Quidditch match, Harry was rather comfortable and enjoyed the view of the Manhattan skyline. Ginny, too, looked relaxed. The three of them wandered the three hundred and sixty degree deck, taking in the various views. At one point, Sirius pulled out a Muggle camera and snapped some pictures of the teens.

"Where did you get that?" Harry asked, laughing.

"From the hotel yesterday when I went to scout out the area. You were resting. I wanted you two to have some mementos, something for Ginny to show her family when she can."

"Can we do some shopping, too? I was hoping to send them a little something. Not for each of them, obviously, but something for the entire family."

"Sure we can, Ginny. I plan on us being in New York for a few days. That way, we'll have ample opportunity to adjust to the time difference."

The remainder of the morning was taken up visiting Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants once started their lives in America, seeking new freedoms and opportunities.

"I just had to bring the two of you here. It seemed appropriate."

Harry had to agree. He and Ginny had come to America for the freedom and opportunity to learn what they needed to in order to win the upcoming war. Harry wasn't naive. He knew things were going to get bad before they could get better. All the more reason to be prepared. As he looked around, he tried to see it how it had been all those years ago, to imagine how those people felt having endured the worst possible conditions just for the chance at a better life. It was humbling, really. No matter what his life had been like, it was a sure bet the people who risked it all to come here had lives that were much worse.

Ginny squeezed his hand and he met her gaze. Harry could see that she felt the same as he did. Letting go of her hand, he draped his arm across her shoulders, and pulled her close, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Sirius insisted on taking their picture on the front steps of the building, like so many others before them. His enthusiasm for "doing it right" made Harry laugh.

"But if we were going to do it right, shouldn't we have come here first, then gone to the Statue of Liberty?" Harry couldn't help pointing out.

Sirius threw Harry a look that clearly said 'Don't bother me with details. Just play along.' Ginny giggled, which set Harry off again.

0000000000

After lunch the trio returned to their room to rest, the time difference still giving them a little trouble, though they were adjusting better than any of them thought they would. Once they awoke, Sirius asked them if they felt like going out again.

Harry looked to Ginny for her thoughts. She shrugged and nodded. He turned back to Sirius. "Sure. Are you going to tell us where we're going this time?"

"Well, Harry, remember on your birthday you said you thought Ginny would like that amusement park?" When Harry nodded, Sirius continued. "It just so happens, there's a smaller version not far from here."

Beaming, Harry breathed, "Brilliant." To Ginny, he continued, "You'll like it, Ginny. There's all types of rides. They're fun. We don't have ride anything you don't want to."

"Sounds like fun."

So, a short time later, the three of them walked through the entrance to Coney Island. Immediately visible were roller coasters, a water ride, and rides that spun. They started with something called The Tickler in which the three of them sat in a half-moon shaped car that glided side-to-side along a track with vicious switchbacks, swift dips or drops, and incredible spins that plastered them to back of the car, unable to move for the duration of the spin.

They rode several roller coasters, which Ginny declared to be lots of fun. Sirius allowed Harry and Ginny to ride a smaller version of the London Eye by themselves. Naturally, Harry took the opportunity to kiss Ginny whenever they reached the top of the rotation. Dizzy from the other spinning rides they tried, the three played a few games. Harry won a giant yellow stuffed horse for Ginny playing a game in which he had to get a shot into a cup.

"It's nearly as big as I am," Ginny said, laughing.

"Almost," Harry agreed with a smile.

Sirius won at a game in which he had to smack mechanical moles that popped up through holes. He now carried around a big stuffed green dog. Ginny and Harry played a game in which they had to roll balls into holes at varying distances to move their mechanical sharks. Ginny's better aim and quicker hands prevailed, and she walked away with a blue stuffed lion.

Browsing the shops, Sirius bought them all tee shirts. Ginny bought a postcard of the amusement park, and Harry picked out two hats, a green one for Ginny with the park's name stitched in black on the front, and a black one for himself with the name stitched in red. The three grew hungry so ate at a cafe they had passed at the park's entrance.

"Have fun?" Sirius asked as they ate.

"Definitely," Ginny said, nodding. "Thanks, Sirius, for everything."

"Hey, we're not done yet. In fact, we're just getting started. However, in the morning, you two will get back to your exercising. Can't afford to lose all the progress you've made."

Harry sighed. "I knew it would be coming sooner or later."

"Work, then play," Sirius informed them.

0000 -Aug 14 Sunday

The next morning, Ginny contacted Hermione with Harry's mirror. Again, Sirius put up the charms he'd used when she had talked to her mum.

"Ginny! It's great to hear from you! How is it there? Do you like it?"

"We're still in the same location in which we landed. Sirius is giving us time to adjust to the time difference."

Hermione nodded. "That's probably best. I know you can't tell me where you are, but what _can_ you tell me?"

"Well, we're in a big city, bigger than London. It's pretty noisy here. I don't think I've seen so many cars and people in one place. We've had some fun, sightseeing and visiting a nice park. It hasn't been too bad, yet, but Sirius is getting Harry and I back into our exercise routine this morning."

A teasing grin stretched Hermione's lips while her eyes glittered with suppressed humor. "So," she ventured a little too casually, "what's it been like sleeping in the same room as your boyfriend?"

Ginny turned scarlet, though she couldn't keep an answering grin from widening her own mouth. "Oh, Hermione, you just have no idea! We're currently in a room with two big beds. Sirius used one of the beds' duvets to make a partition between them for me."

"Sneak any peeks?" Hermione asked with a wink.

"Hermione!" Ginny felt the heat in her face that had faded suddenly bloom again. She giggled. "Once. I couldn't help it. I had to go the loo and had to pass Harry's bed to get there. As I walked back to my bed, I felt this urge to look, and I couldn't resist. His duvet had ridden down, while his shirt had ridden up, exposing his stomach. He's beginning to develop some nice abs, Hermione. There's only one problem, now."

Hermione frowned in confusion. "What could that be?"

"Now, I want to know what his chest looks like!"

Hermione laughed. "I'm sure you'll get your chance. You do realize you need to even things up, right?"

"Er, what?"

"You need to figure out a way to give Harry the opportunity to look at you while _you're_ sleeping. Maybe in the next hotel you stay in, you should take the bed closer to the loo so he'd have to pass by you at night."

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed yet again, surprised to see this side of her friend.

"What?" the girl asked, laughing. "It's only fair. Besides, you'll know exactly what he thinks of you the following morning. If he treats you as he always had, then he didn't look, but if he's a little more nervous around you, you'll know he _did_ look and liked what he saw. Think of it as another way to flirt."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this, considering you're the one who warned me how things could quickly get out of control."

Hermione seemed to think about that. "You know, you're probably right. Maybe you shouldn't. I sometimes forget you're not as old as I am."

"Well, now I wish I'd kept my mouth shut. I like the thought of Harry looking at me while I sleep. It's not as if he hasn't looked at me anyway. He's admitted as much to me at the World Cup."

Hermione's brows jumped in surprise. "He told you that?"

"Yes, he did, and he felt very guilty about having looked at me. Needless to say, I set him straight on that, telling him how I liked that he looked, and that I had looked at him. He was so shocked to hear that I had." Ginny shook her head disbelievingly. "He doesn't see what I see. He even told me I needed my eyes examined. I have to say, I'm so glad he has that ring. He's going to grab the attention of a lot of girls, the way he's looking."

"I hope you're not worried about that, Ginny. You know you mean everything to Harry."

"Oh, I know. I just would rather not have to beat the girls off of him."

"Just give them a taste of your Bat-Bogey Hex," Hermione said flippantly. "That would teach them."

"True," Ginny agreed, grinning. "Well, I should go. I think Harry wanted to talk to Ron and Neville a moment before we started our day."

"Alright. Thanks for contacting me, Ginny. Have fun. Bye."

"I will. You're welcome. Bye."

Hermione's face faded and the normal reflective surface of the mirror reappeared. After dressing in the shorts and shirt she'd designated as her work-out clothes, Ginny returned the mirror to Harry, thanking him for letting her use it.

"Ginny," Sirius called as Harry reactivated the mirror, "I think we're going to make use of the hotel's swimming pool. You _can_ swim, right?"

Ginny gave him a look as if to say 'That's a stupid question to ask.' "Of course, I can. Our back garden has a pond, and the River Otter runs along our property. I've played in both."

Sirius' face turned red as he walked over to her. Softly he asked, "And you can _now_? I don't mean to pry, but..."

Ginny was certain she blushed harder than any time during her conversation with Hermione. Unable to meet his eyes, she replied to the floor, "Er, yes. You, er, don't have to worry about that at all this month."

She heard him inhale deeply. "Alright, then," he said a bit awkwardly. "No more needs to be said about it. Forget this conversation ever happened."

"Gladly," Ginny eagerly agreed, before ducking back behind the duvet to change into her swimming costume.

Ginny had instantly fallen in love with it, and once she'd tried it on, she hadn't wanted any other. She felt more mature in it, despite the fact it was fairly modest. The vibrant tropical green color of the halter-style, leaf-printed top showed off her budding curves, making them hard to miss. Down the center of the top to where it split was a seam. From that seam, horizontal gatherings branched outward emphasizing what she had there, albeit she didn't have as much as other girls her age.

Ginny especially liked the fact that the top split a few inches above her navel, falling to each side with a ruffled edge to her hips, and continuing on around the back. That left a roughly triangular section of her flat stomach open to view. The other thing she loved about this costume was the darker shade of tropical green-colored, drawstring boyshort bottoms, rather than the typical high-cut bottoms of most swimming costumes. The drawstring and a two inch band at the top matched in color and pattern to the costume's top.

Ginny grinned. She felt good in it, and she definitely hoped she caught Harry's attention. Well, there was one way to find out. Sitting on her bed, she donned her swim shoes, grabbed her beach towel and brush, slipped a hair tie onto her wrist, then stepped back around the duvet.

She noticed Sirius had entered the loo. Harry still chatted with Ron and Neville—until he happened to glance up at her. Inwardly, Ginny felt like squealing and jumping with joy as Harry's gaze took in her swimming costume, ignoring Ron and Neville on the other end of the mirror. It wasn't until Ron practically yelled Harry's name before Harry returned to his conversation. Ginny turned her back to him to brush her hair and plait it. She grinned at Harry's sudden lack of communication skills, and from the corner of her eye she could see him throwing glances her way. Oh, yes, this was indeed fun.

Sirius came out of the loo dressed in a tee shirt and athletic shorts. Harry took that moment to end his chat, grab his swim trunks and a shirt, and disappear into the loo. Ginny hoped she'd finally get a look at Harry's chest, certain that it had gained some definition by now. Once Harry returned from changing his clothes, Sirius took down the duvet divider, cast a temporary spell to protect their eyes from the chlorine in the pool, and the three of them wandered down to the pool.

Once there, Sirius explained he wanted them to swim laps, as many as they could in thirty minutes. The pool area was otherwise empty as it was still early. It wasn't a long pool, but it was long enough to get a good workout. Dipping her foot into the water, Ginny discovered it was the perfect temperature, not too warm, but not too cool, either. Dropping her towel on a nearby table, she sat on the pool's edge and waited for Harry, doing her best not to stare in anticipation of his shirt coming off.

Then, Ginny was rewarded with a very pleasant view. With his chest now bare, she could plainly see that his shoulders had widened a bit, his chest and abs were more defined. Harry was definitely maturing. Quickly, she turned away, fighting the blush that threatened to stain her cheeks. Ginny was glad he sat on the edge of the pool the next lane over, putting a little distance between them. She'd never been so close to him with so much skin showing—on either of them.

Sirius sitting on the edge halfway down the length of the pool caught Ginny's attention. "Why aren't you getting in?"

"Because I get my exercise simply keeping up with the two of you. Now, go ahead and get in." Once the teens were in the water, he reminded them of his instructions. "This isn't a race. Pace yourselves. You have thirty minutes to do as many laps as you can. To the opposite side and back will constitute one lap. You need to keep your own count. Understood? Yes?" Sirius pulled out his watch. "Alright, then, your time begins...now."

Swimming was a discipline in which Ginny excelled. When she was little, her mum would take her and Ron to the pool in Ottery St. Catchpole a few times each week for swimming lessons and to be around other kids. It was one of the few luxuries Ginny was ever given. She took to the water like a fish.

Ginny's proficiency showed now as she neared the other end. Executing a perfect swimmer's turn by ducking under the chest-high water and pushing off the wall with her feet so she was face down in the water, she was on her way back before Harry reached the wall. That wasn't to say she was way ahead of him, however. By her best estimate, he lagged behind her by mere seconds, five seconds at the absolute most. Throughout those thirty minutes, Ginny used three different swim strokes.

By the time the thirty minutes were up, Ginny's shoulders ached so badly, she barely managed to lift herself out of the pool. She could have used the steps, but her pride wouldn't let her. She walked over to her towel and used it to soak up some of the pool water from her hair. She would have liked to have collapsed in a chair, but again, her pride wouldn't let her. Harry didn't seem winded at all, so she did her best not to show that she was.

"You're bound to be sore after that," Sirius commented. "Come on over to the Jacuzzi and relax. Trust me, you'll like it."

Curious about the tiny round pool that Sirius motioned them toward, Ginny headed that way. It wasn't big, nor was it very deep. Molded seats sprouted from the inner walls at regular intervals. Stepping in, she gasped. The water was _very_ warm. Sitting on one of the little bench seats, the water just barely covered her shoulders. Harry took a seat across from her.

"I'm going to turn this on for five minutes. Then, we're going back to the room."

Ginny was about to ask what Sirius meant by 'turning it on', but the suddenly bubbling water startled her, not to mention feeling a jet of water at her lower back. She would have been embarrassed at her reaction, but Harry had jumped, too. It didn't take long before the heat and moving water massaged the aches from her muscles and she sighed.

"Yeah," Harry said with a little laugh, "exactly. I really want one of these."

Five minutes later, two drowsy teens climbed from the Jacuzzi feeling much better than when they had climbed in. Sirius glanced around before using his wand to dry their swimming costumes just enough so water didn't drip on the floor. As he did so, he suggested to Ginny that maybe she instruct Harry on how to perform the strokes she'd used, which set them both blushing. Then, Sirius led them past the pool, heading for the door. A sudden idea popped into Ginny's head, and by the looks of the grin on Harry's face, he had the same idea. He motioned what he was thinking and Ginny nodded, confirming she had the same thought. Harry held up three fingers, then counted down to zero, at which time Ginny helped Harry shove Sirius into the pool.

The two teens laughed, an arm around the other, as they waited for Sirius to surface. He quickly shot back up, sputtering and scolding them.

"Harry, you're lucky my watch is waterproof. Ginny, don't let him corrupt you."

Harry snorted. "Are you kidding? She was already thinking it! You _have_ met Fred and George, remember? The Weasley twins known for their pranking? Besides, did you really expect me, the son of a Marauder, to not take the opportunity when it was so conveniently presented?"

Sirius conceded Harry's points and held out a hand. "Help me out?"

Harry shook his head, still grinning. "I'm not stupid, Sirius. You can use the stairs."

Ginny giggled and waved as she and Harry walked over to the door to wait for Sirius. She laughed even harder when Harry spoke up again.

"Come on, old man, we're starving!"

That seemed to spur Sirius into action. "I'll show you just how old I am!"

"Let's go, Ginny. Sirius has to dry off before he can leave."

The two dashed out of the pool area, towels over their shoulders, Harry's shirt in his hand, and headed for a lift. Luckily, someone exited one of them as Harry and Ginny arrived, so the two of them ducked inside, Ginny smacking the button for their floor. By the time the door closed, Sirius still hadn't caught up to them.

"He wouldn't Apparate into the room, would he?"

Harry shook his head. "Too much of a chance of being seen."

"Er, Harry, Sirius has the room key, remember?"

Harry held up the key with a grin. "No, he doesn't."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "How did you get that?"

"Nicked it right out of his pocket."

Ginny grinned, but it faded as a sudden urge to kiss him hit her. Harry's own smile disappeared as he looked into her eyes, some emotion deepening their green color. Ginny just started to close the distance between them when the lift stopped with a _ding_. She jumped back, but was happy he took her hand, threading their fingers together.

Once inside their room, Ginny was slightly surprised when Harry tossed the key onto his bed, and turned back to her. Then, there was no room for surprise because Harry kissed her, an arm wrapping around her waist, and a hand cupping her head. Ginny's own hands slid into his hair. The tingling she always felt when kissing Harry filled her now.

She was enjoying the kiss immensely when, suddenly, Harry pulled away from her, red-faced, dropped his towel on his bed, and sat on it, his shirt bunched in his hands and resting on his lap. He wouldn't look at her, either. Ginny thought he looked uncomfortable or embarrassed but wasn't sure why he would be feeling that way.

"Harry?"

"Er, you should probably take a shower or change your clothes. Sirius will probably be here any time."

Ginny wanted to force the issue but she knew him well enough to know that would be the wrong thing to do. Letting out a frustrated breath, she collected a change of clothes, her bag of toiletries, shot Harry an annoyed glare, and disappeared into the loo, muttering about stupid gits who refused to talk.

0000

Harry winced as the door shut with more force than was necessary. He was lucky she hadn't hexed him. Heaving a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. He really had no choice but to pull away from her, lest she discovered exactly how he reacted to her, and Harry wanted to avoid that at all costs. It was too embarrassing. Part of the problem was that swimming costume. He didn't remember seeing _that_ in the trolley when paying for her clothes.

When he'd first glanced up at her, every single thought as to what he was doing had flown right out of his head. It wasn't that the costume was immodest by any stretch of the imagination; Harry had seen smaller ones that barely covered anything. It was more that he'd never seen that much of Ginny before, and the swimming costume made him realize she was beginning to mature nicely.

Harry groaned and shifted positions, chastising himself for even thinking that. He shouldn't be having those kinds of thoughts. Ginny had just turned thirteen, for Merlin's sake! Propping his elbows on his knees, he dropped his head into his hands. What was he going to do? Surely, this wouldn't be the only time he and Ginny went swimming, which meant he needed to pull himself together.

Harry, still calling himself every stupid name he could think of, barely paid Sirius any mind when he came in.

"Harry, you are in for it no— What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Harry wasn't sure how to answer that. Yes, something did happen, but how did one go about explaining that to one's godfather? He felt the bed dip beside him.

"Sometimes it's better to just say it and get it over with," Sirius advised gently.

Harry groaned again, took a deep breath, and let the words come tumbling out in a rush. "When we came back, I kissed her, and it wasn't a normal kiss, but a somewhat heated one and then I...I..." He winced and felt heat flare in his cheeks again. "I had to pull away from her. I told her she should get a shower or something because you'd be back soon, and now she's angry with me."

Sirius was silent a moment, but Harry didn't care. He kept his gaze glued to the floor.

"Let me guess, you pulled away because you had a very normal—"

"Yes!"

"Harry, Ginny has six older brothers. Don't you think she'd know by now about this kind of thing?"

"She's thirteen, Sirius. This shouldn't be happening. She doesn't need to know that it is."

"Harry," Sirius tried again, patiently, "she'd understand, and of course it should be happening. You're fourteen years old, you're dating a lovely young girl who is becoming a lovely young woman, _and_ you're in love with her. So, under all those circumstances, this is very normal."

"I just don't want her to think I'd push her into anything."

"I don't think she would." Sirius paused again before continuing on. "Er, Harry, I have to ask. Are you, er, feeling a...primal urge...to, er, you know..."

Harry's head shot up out of his hands. "No," he declared unequivocally. His certainty vanished in less than a second. "At least, I don't think so. How would I even know?"

"I'm fairly certain you'd know, but that's something you'll have to figure out on your own, unfortunately. I wish I could help you, kiddo. Just think about what I said in regards to Ginny. She might surprise you if you give her the chance."

Maybe so, but Harry couldn't envision trying to explain things to her. What was he supposed to say? 'Sorry, but sometimes when we kiss, I get...randy?' He shook his head. He couldn't do it. He couldn't say that to her. He'd just have to be careful from now on. Harry snorted. Yeah, right. As if he had any control over it. It may not even be an issue anymore if Ginny stayed mad at him. Perhaps he should tell her to just hex him and get it over with? Yeah. He could volunteer to take her Bat-Bogey Hex. Maybe then she could get her anger out and be done with it. Harry sighed heavily. He was _not_ looking forward to that, but it had to be done, the sooner the better.

The door to the loo opened and Ginny exited, nodding to Sirius, but ignoring Harry. Gathering his courage, Harry stood and walked over to her bed, knowing his approach was the equivalent of tickling a sleeping dragon. The door to the loo opened and closed again and Harry figured it was Sirius' way of giving them some privacy.

"What, Harry?" Ginny asked him, her voice cold and unfeeling.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. Hex me and get it over with. I don't want you angry with me the entire trip."

"I'm not going to hex you, Harry."

"Why not? I deserve it, don't I? You can hit me with your Bat-Bogey Hex; I don't care. Just please, don't be mad at me anymore."

"Tell me why you pulled away from me so quickly," Ginny shot back, her arms crossed over her chest. "You've done that before, yet you've never given me a good explanation as to why."

Harry felt heat creep up his neck, into his face, and burn his ears. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Twice more, he tried to speak, and still he couldn't force the words out. Sighing, Harry dropped onto Ginny's bed, his back to her, dropped his elbows to his knees, and propped his head in his hands. Closing his eyes, he tried to speak one final time, and this time, the words came.

"Sometimes," he softly admitted, "I, er, like being next to you or kissing you a little, er, too much. I mean, I get these strong, er, feelings, sometimes, and...I..."

That was it. That was all he could force past his dry mouth. Silence hung heavily between them, and Harry felt its oppressive weight pushing him down. He didn't dare open his eyes, afraid of Ginny's reaction to what he said. The seconds ticked by and Harry wished she would say or do something to put him out of his misery.

" _That's_ why?"

Harry cringed a little at her tone of voice. He couldn't determine if she was mad or just disbelieved him. He actually startled when she sat next to him, caressing his arm.

"Merlin, Harry! I wish you had just said something before. You do remember that I have six older brothers, don't you? I've picked up a thing or two just being around them and overhearing conversations. Did you think that would bother me or something?"

Harry shrugged, relaxing slightly since Ginny seemed to not be annoyed with him anymore. "Partly. It's embarrassing, really."

"It shouldn't be. It's a natural reflexive response, and honestly, I think I like that you have such a strong reaction to me. We're meant to be together, right?" Harry nodded. "Well, our lives would be very boring if we didn't respond in that way to each other, don't you think?"

"But you're only thirteen, Ginny. I shouldn't be—"

"Don't give me that, Harry! You can't help how you feel, just like I can't help how I feel."

That admission made Harry's head jerk out of his hands so that he could see her. "You, er, feel something, too?"

Ginny nodded, a soft smile on her lips. "I do. I feel all tingly inside when you kiss me like that, so much so that I sometimes wish you'd never stop. So, see? You're not alone."

"Ginny, I hope you know I'd never try to do something that you're not ready for or don't want."

"I know that, Harry."

"Good."

Ginny shoulder-bumped him. "Feel better now?"

Harry smiled, relieved their chat wasn't as awkward as it could have been. "Actually, yes. Thanks, Ginny."

Sirius chose that moment to exit the loo. "Is everything settled?"

Ginny nodded. "It is now."

"Good. Glad to hear it."

Harry rose, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed for the shower. As he walked by his godfather, Harry heard him mutter, "I told you she'd understand."

Harry chose to ignore him and rushed through his shower so that they could go out sightseeing again.


	5. What He Needs

**_The seeker embarks on a journey to find what he wants and discovers, along the way, what he needs._ _  
_ _―_ _Wally Lamb_ _,_ _The Hour I First Believed_**

About an hour or so later, the three of them climbed out of their rented car at a train station. A sign above the ticket office read Catskill Mountain Railroad. The teens followed Sirius to show the ticket agent proof of their paid tickets. After a brief conversation, Sirius pointed to a short line of small buildings.

"If you need the loo, now is the time to go. The ride is forty-five minutes long and there isn't a loo on the train."

Harry eyed the indicated structures warily, but he needed to go, so he stepped up to one and opened the door, not certain what to expect. To his surprise, it was actually rather clean inside. After taking care of business and washing his hands, he exited to find Sirius standing alone. Apparently, Ginny had braved the loos as well. Sirius took his turn, leaving Harry to wait for Ginny. Soon, the three of them were together and finding seats on an open train car.

Before long, the train was loaded and left the station. Someone came over a speaker giving the passengers a brief history of the area and telling them to watch for wildlife, especially along the banks of the Esopus Creek that paralleled the train tracks. Harry had to admit, Sirius was right in insisting they wear jeans and take a jacket. The air was definitely cooler here.

The train startled a few does away from the creek. Harry watched them disappear into the woods, and suddenly grabbed Ginny's hand, whispering furiously to his companions.

"Look! There! By those trees! It's a stag!"

"I see it!" Sirius whispered back, his gaze focused on the creature no more than twenty feet away.

"Me, too!"

The stag seemed to stare at them before regally bowing its head and running off into the trees. Harry sat back against his seat, lost in the moment. It felt to Harry as if the stag had stared into his soul and approved of what it saw. He knew he was being fanciful, but it didn't matter. It was as if his father had come to see him.

"Harry? Are you okay?"

Harry tightened his grip on Ginny's hand briefly, giving her a small smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just was surprised to see it. With Dad, er, you know..."

"We know, Harry," Sirius reassured him, patting his shoulder. "From my understanding, it's rare to see a stag. Unless, of course, they choose to be seen."

"I felt like it was staring at us, at me. I know that's silly, but that's how it felt."

"It's not silly at all, Harry," Sirius said quietly. "I also thought it was watching us. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. We'll never know."

They settled down and enjoyed the rest of the trip, spotting a bald eagle flying overhead, a heron standing in the creek, and a few other woodland creatures scurrying between the trees and the creek. The three made it a game to see who could spot the animal first. All three of them were competitive and took the game seriously, putting forth great effort to outdo the others. In the end, with his skill at finding a hiding Snitch, Harry beat out the other two, but barely.

"That was fun," Ginny declared after the train ride. She slowly rotated to take in the surrounding hills, seemingly attempting to commit the view to memory. "It's so pretty here. Who would have thought that a short drive from that huge city, was this?" Her hands rose to indicate their surroundings.

"Yeah, _this_ I like. I could get used to this."

Sirius smirked, obviously enjoying himself. "Well, don't. This isn't our final destination."

Harry glared at his godfather, though there wasn't much heat behind it. "And you still aren't going to tell us where that is, are you?" He said it more as a statement, rather than a question.

Sirius adopted a horrified expression. "And spoil all the fun?"

Harry rolled his eyes at that, shaking his head, as they returned to their waiting car. He and Ginny climbed into the back seat as they had done for the trip there. Harry liked the idea of Sirius driving them around like a chauffeur. More importantly, he could sit next to Ginny and hold her hand.

"Sirius, this is the third time you've taken us somewhere in which we had advanced tickets. How exactly did you manage that?"

Sirius steered them from the car park and onto the street in the direction of a town called Shandaken, according to a street sign. "Harry, what did you think I was doing on those times I wasn't around Hogwarts after you made the decision to not return?"

Harry shrugged, though he knew Sirius couldn't see him. "I don't know. I guess I thought you were busy getting us the houses."

"Well, I was, but I was also planning out this entire trip."

"But...how?" Ginny asked.

"London has a great library. I used their computers to find all these great little attractions. I used their maps to plan out our traveling route."

"Okay, but how did you pay for everything in advance?"

Sirius gave a little sigh of resignation. "Suffice it to say, I had money in some accounts I left here when I went back to England in search of you and Remus, money I haven't touched in a long while. I quit what I was doing here and returned to England, hoping to find you. It took longer than I expected. Though I hadn't used that money in so long, the accounts were still active. That's what I used for our tickets, and it's what I'm using to fund this trip."

Harry exchanged a confused look with Ginny. Sirius couldn't have come to America to purchase all their tickets before they'd left after converting gold to Muggle money, so he either had someone do it, or he had a huge amount of Muggle money stashed away. Harry figured it was the latter, remembering Sirius had once said he'd been in America for some time after _that_ night. He thought about Sirius' connection to the band that had come to Hogwarts at Easter. How could Sirius have known them? The only way he could have was—

Harry's eyes widened as he stared at his godfather. Hesitantly, he asked, "Were you ever in the music business?" Ginny's gaze flew to Harry, then darted between him and Sirius. "Well, what other explanation is there, Ginny? Think about it. He has all this Muggle money, he's on a first-name basis with a band, and he sent that band a letter and received a very personal reply. It makes sense."

"It does make sense," Ginny agreed, nodding.

Both turned their attention to the man at the wheel. Harry wasn't sure they'd get a response. Sirius seemed very reluctant to talk about that part of his life. But then, Sirius nodded.

"I was, at one time. I'm not too proud of it, though."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I should have tried harder to find you, Harry. I was your godfather. I should have been there for you. Instead, I gave up and wallowed in my own self-pity. Dumbledore told me you were where you belonged, so I turned my back on my obligation to you, and did my own thing over here. I made a fortune, grew tired of the lifestyle, and disappeared again. I returned to England and hid out, not doing much of anything. That's when I saw the Daily Prophet article about you finally attending Hogwarts. I was curious as to why you hadn't been there before, but didn't have the courage to go see you. As you know, it was October when I finally talked myself into going."

Harry swallowed painfully. He cleared his throat before he could speak. "Well, you're here now. That's what counts." Deciding things had become too somber, Harry tried to lighten things up by saying cheekily, "So, you're famous over here, then?"

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "A bit, yeah, but don't worry. It's nothing like what you get back home."

"Good to know." Harry winked at Ginny. "So, then, oh wonderfully famous godfather of mine, when do I start getting some pocket money?"

Ginny snickered. Sirius snorted. "Kiddo, you have your own money. There's no need to go latching onto mine."

Ginny, getting in on the fun, piped up, a look of sincere innocence on her face. "But, Sirius, his is still at Gringotts."

"Oh, no you don't. You're not pulling that on me. Lily used to do that to me and I couldn't say no to her. I know for a fact, Ginny, that Harry pulled out a nice bit of money from his vault for this year. That will have to last him."

Both Harry and Ginny laughed. Harry said, "Well, we tried, at any rate." Harry turned back to Sirius. "So, where are we going now?"

Sirius leaned over to his right, fumbled with something, then a rectangular, folded paper was tossed over the front seat. "Take a look for yourself."

On the front was the Statue of Liberty and a giant waterfall. The words 'New York' boldly proclaimed where those landmarks could be found. Harry unfolded it to find colorful lines like cracks in a windowpane covering the paper. Dots with names were scattered all along the lines. It only took Harry a second to realize what he was looking at, then another second to find on the map the area they had just visited.

"Oh, here we are." Harry folded the map to a more manageable size and showed Ginny. "This is a map of New York. It shows all the roads, cities, rivers, lakes, and mountains in the state. We're here." He pointed to Phoenicia in Catskill Park, then moved his finger northwest to the town that road sign indicated. "And here's Shandaken."

"Merlin!" Ginny breathed as her eyes roamed the section of the map she could see. "The state is huge!"

"It's bigger than you think." Harry unfolded the map completely. "There's the entire state."

Ginny's jaw dropped. Her finger touched the area of the map they were in. "We're in just a tiny _section_ of it!"

"Here's your trivia for today, kids. New York has a total of 54,555 square miles. England has a total of 50,346 square miles."

Harry exchanged wide-eyed glances with Ginny. He shook his head in disbelief, unable to imagine a land so big. Refolding the map to only show their area, Harry laid it back in his lap and sat back to enjoy the rest of the car ride.

Less than thirty minutes later, they pulled up to a quaint looking building with a rounded tower attached. A sign out front read _Welcome to the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope, the World's Largest Kaleidoscope_.

"What's a kaleidoscope?" Ginny whispered to Harry as they walked up to the door.

"I don't know, but we're about to find out."

The trio entered the building and joined the small crowd inside. A staff member welcomed them, then continued with a short history of kaleidoscopes in general and then with a few specific details on theirs. Again, Harry and Ginny exchanged surprised looks when they learned the one they were about to see—housed in the silo—stood sixty feet high.

The speaker led their group into the silo and suggested they find a spot to lie down. Mats with tiny pillows were arrayed haphazardly on the circular floor. Relatively close to the door, Sirius chose his mat. Harry and Ginny took mats that lay close together, but were a short distance from Sirius. Once everyone was settled, the lights went out, leaving the "room" so dark, it was impossible to see anything. Harry felt Ginny's fingers intertwine with his and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Music began to play, a dreamy kind of music that could easily lull one to sleep. In almost the same instant, a dizzying, twisting, mishmash of colorful pictures displayed above them, morphing into themselves and into other things, some pictures recognizable, while others were simply geometric shapes.

By the time the show was over, Harry felt strangely relaxed. He shook his head in an effort to dispel the lethargy that had come over him. Looking around him, a few others seemed to have the same problem. He looked to Ginny. She was sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Sirius, too, was sitting, a hand running over his face.

"Well, _that_ was...different," Harry murmured.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed. "That made me a bit dizzy. They sure like circles."

Harry thought about the number of times circles had played prominently in the mesmerizing designs. "I hadn't realized it, but you're right." He shrugged. "Maybe since this," he waved a finger around them, "is round, they went with a theme or something."

Ginny shrugged, too. "Not that it matters."

She stood and held out a hand to help him to his feet, which he accepted. With a tug stronger than one would think from someone her size, Harry gained his feet. After switching hands, he turned to Sirius, finding him already at the door, waiting for them. The teens waited while those in front of them filed out of the room.

"What did you think?" Sirius asked them as they headed for the gift shop.

"I don't know. It was...odd. It made me feel really tired for some reason. Maybe it was the music."

"It made me dizzy a bit," Ginny added. "What about you, Sirius? Did you like it?"

"It was a unique experience, certainly."

Harry stepped into the gift shop and felt his jaw drop. "Bloody hell, that's a lot of kaleidoscopes."

Every shelf in the shop was filled with kaleidoscopes. Some were large, while others were small. Some were made of glass, others made of both stone and glass. Others contained housings of metal. Kaleidoscopes resided in ordinary objects like baseball bats and clocks. All of them had a price tag.

As they wandered through the shop, Ginny giggled. "Can you imagine what Fred and George would do with one of these?"

Harry grinned. "I think the better question is, do I _want_ to imagine what Fred and George could do with these?"

"Find one to send to them, Ginny. My treat," Sirius told her. "We'll figure out how to get it to them without giving away our location. Maybe if we used the Mu—er, the post, we could make it work. I, for one, am interested in seeing how those two use something like this."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, looking uncertain.

"Of course, I am. We're not leaving until you find one for them."

"Well, alright."

It was obvious to Harry that Ginny still wasn't convinced. Taking her hand, he led her down an aisle. "Come on, let's take a look."

00000

Lunch was at a local diner. After lunch, Sirius drove them back towards the city. It took Harry a little while to realize they weren't heading back to their hotel.

"Where are we going now?"

"Just sit back and relax, kiddo," Sirius said from the front seat, his voice taking on a tinge of exasperation.

So, that's what Harry did. When he leaned back into his seat, Ginny laid her head on his shoulder. Kissing the top of her head, he sighed and focused on relaxing, breathing in deeply and exhaling fully. His eyelids grew heavy. Before they'd reached the main highway that led back to New York City, Harry had fallen asleep.

When he next opened his eyes, he saw they had driven into a multi-level, enclosed car park. Sirius pulled into a spot and parked. Harry stretched, gently waking Ginny up.

"Oh, good, you're awake. A nice walk will help wake you up." Sirius glanced around. No one was nearby. "How would you like to see America's Ministry for Magic?"

"Yeah, sure!" Harry enthusiastically climbed out of the car, taking a moment to really stretch. "What are we doing here? Or is this another secret?"

"What we're doing here is getting a Portkey. Where the Portkey is going is a secret."

"Of course it is."

Sirius quickly performed the spell he'd devised to prevent audible overload for Harry, then the three of them walked out of the shadows, heading south. Harry wasn't too fond of getting bumped and jostled along. Three blocks later, they could see a tall building. Manicured greenery lined the pavement. As they drew closer, a long row of different flags flapped in the breeze. Looking closely, Harry thought he saw England's flag.

"They have our flag!" Ginny exclaimed, pointing.

"Of course they do," Sirius said, his amusement obvious. "Welcome to the United Nations Headquarters. Representatives from all over the world come here. They regulate peace and have some really important talks."

Behind the row of flags sat a long white building that curved slightly at its ends. A large area in front of the building looked to contain some huge works of art.

" _That's_ where we're going?" Harry asked, once again finding himself in shock.

"What better place to put it, Harry?" Sirius intentionally was vague in his question. "This way, foreign accents won't draw any attention."

"It really is the perfect place," Ginny agreed. She snorted. "Hermione would love to see this."

"I think _Percy_ would love to see this," Harry joked.

"There's a few shops inside. We can get them both some books or something once we're done."

Stepping inside the building, Harry immediately felt a subtle change in the air, like the weight of the world hung there. Harry could relate. At least here, though, it wasn't oppressive, simply weighty, just as one would expect upon entering a place such as this. Come to think of it, he hadn't felt all that stressed about his fate, either, since Ginny had come into his life. Yes, it still bothered him. Of course it did. The difference was, he didn't fixate on it anymore. He was taking steps to prepare himself and Ginny for what was coming. That was all he could do.

Mentally shaking himself out of his reverie, Harry followed Sirius to a door marked with a big sign of the letter M. Sirius opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door open for the teens. Harry's brows rose at that. People were coming and going not far away. He looked to Sirius incredulously.

"Don't worry, Harry. They don't see us, just like they don't see this door. There's a special spell, like a Notice-Me-Not Charm, in this little area."

Harry noticed a big brass plaque on their left next to a glass door. It read **Magical Cooperation: International and Intranational Offices**. On their right, a plaque beside another glass door—in fact, all the doors in the corridor were glass—read **Quidditch Headquarters**. Harry was certainly glad to see that. Maybe things wouldn't be as different as he thought.

The next door's plaque read **Magical Creature Control: Creature, Being, and Apparition Office, Office of Goblin Interaction, Pest Removal Board**. The next group of offices dealt with reversing accidental magic, obliviations, and excuses for the Muggles. Official looking wizards and witches exited the following office. Harry heard them discussing some law, so he figured that the office contained the American version of the Auror division and Magical Law department in England. As they passed by the door, he looked at the plaque. **Wizencourt: Law Offices, Illegal Use of Muggle Items Office, Courtrooms, ICW**. He'd been correct.

The last door they came to was the one they needed. **Apparations, Broom Regulations, Floo Network, and Portkeys** read the plaque. Sirius entered, then waited for Harry and Ginny to enter before walking to the front desk. As it appeared in the other offices, this one was also divided into sub-offices. After a brief discussion, the witch at the desk directed them to the appropriate door.

While Sirius dealt with the necessary paperwork for procuring a Portkey, Harry and Ginny stayed in the main office, watching as notices magically appeared in or disappeared from trays and parchment airplanes flew up toward the ceiling and disappeared into a rectangular hole in the wall.

"Where do you think that goes?" Ginny asked, watching the parchment planes.

"If I remember right, Muggle buildings have these vents that allow warm or cool air to travel throughout the building. Usually there's some sort of cover over the hole." Harry watched one plane speed towards the main desk, dive-bombing the poor witch by landing right on top of her current work. He thought he saw a faint plume of smoke waft up from it. "That one must have been urgent. All of the office vents are connected, just like in the Muggle section of the building. Using the vents was a good idea, really."

"I wonder what the age is for Apparating here?"

A passing wizard heard Ginny's question and stopped to greet them. "Hello. I couldn't help but overhear your question. From your accent, I think it's safe to assume your tourists?" Both kids nodded. "Apparating lessons can be taken at the age of fifteen. A license can be had at the age of sixteen. A license can also be obtained earlier if proficiency is shown, but no earlier than age fourteen. I hope you enjoy your stay." The wizard went about his business.

"That's a whole year earlier than at home," Ginny marveled. Ginny excitedly grabbed Harry's arm, turning to face him. "You could get your Apparation license this year!"

Harry grinned, her excitement infectious. "That would be brilliant! I've already asked Sirius to teach me. Maybe he'll teach the both of us."

Ginny sobered slightly. "Harry, I won't be old enough to get my license."

Leaning close, he whispered in her ear, "That doesn't mean you can't learn. Maybe we'll be here long enough for you to get your license. Or maybe Sirius could put in some paperwork and let you take the exam early. Either way, you'll know how and will be able to do it by the time you take the exam."

"What are you two whispering about?" Sirius inquired, exiting the office behind them carrying a short length of rope, and motioning for them to follow.

Out in the corridor, Harry answered him. "They let teens my age get an Apparation license. The standard age is fifteen for lessons and sixteen for a license, but if someone my age can show proficiency, then they can get a license."

"And, let me guess, you want to work on it, and you want me to teach Ginny, as well."

"We've already talked about it, Sirius. You said you'd think about it, but you _did_ admit it would be a good idea. And, yes, I do want you to teach Ginny. She needs to know how just as much as I do."

The trio stepped out into the summer sunshine, all three squinting a moment in the bright light. As they trekked back to the car, Sirius was silent. Harry hoped his godfather was thinking over the decision to teach him and Ginny. Harry got his answer once they'd arrived at the car.

"Alright, I'll teach you. I can't deny that it would be good thing to learn."

"Yes! Thanks, Sirius!" Harry yelled and hugged Ginny. Turning back to Sirius, Harry remembered the piece of rope. Since Sirius seemed to be in a mood to be compliant, Harry figured it wouldn't hurt to ask his next question. "So, what's the Portkey for?"

"You'll find out tomorrow," Sirius said, amusement lacing his voice.

Ginny, brow furrowed in confusion, glanced at the rope before lifting her gaze to Sirius. "Why do we need it? For that matter, why didn't we simply use a Portkey to go directly to our school?"

Sirius leaned his back against the car. "Good questions, Ginny. I'll answer your last one first. I didn't want our movements tracked. I had to be truthful on the paperwork I filed just now, so there's now a record of us being here. Tonight will be our last night in New York City. I'd really prefer our movements not be tracked beyond this city."

"I don't understand." Ginny still looked confused. "You can't track a Portkey."

"No, but you _do_ have to write down where you plan to go when you apply for one. _That's_ what can be tracked."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Now, as for why we need it, it's taking us to an interesting little place in the morning." Sirius chuckled. "I suppose I could have Apparated us there. Actually, once we landed, I could have simply Apparated us to the school." Harry groaned at the thought, making Sirius bark in laughter. "And that's why I didn't. I'm not sure Harry's stomach could have handled it."

"I can't help it," Harry muttered, scowling at the ground. Ginny's hand rubbing his back soothed him.

"And, yet, you want to learn to Apparate."

"I do. It _has_ to be better going alone than by Side-Along."

"We'll see, but it'll have to wait until we get to the school." Sirius winked at Ginny. "Harry's gastric fortitude—or lack thereof—notwithstanding, the main reason I chose to do it this way was so we could all see some sights."

Harry scowled again at his godfather, but it only made the man laugh again. Rolling his eyes, Harry did admit to himself that, had they Apparated a long distance, he likely would have given them a visual they'd rather not have witnessed. Besides, seeing a bit of the country he was going to be living in for the next several months was actually nice, and it had been fun so far.

"Yeah, yeah, you're so wise, oh godfather," Harry intoned with mild sarcasm.

"And don't you forget it, kiddo. Now, get in, and we'll get some dinner. Then, maybe we'll go to Central Park and wander around there for a bit before we go back to the hotel room."

Cheekily snapping out a salute, Harry climbed into the back seat with Ginny. Laughing, Sirius circled to his side of the car and climbed behind the wheel. Soon, they were out of the car park and heading for a restaurant.

0000

Ten o'clock the following morning, Harry, Ginny, and Sirius appeared on a wooden dock inside an open-ended building. Harry stumbled and very likely would have fallen into the water next to them if Ginny and Sirius hadn't grabbed him quickly enough, Sirius shaking his head and chuckling.

"Harry, you need to work on your landings."

"Shut it, Mr.-I'm-so-perfect-I-have-no-issues-whatsoever. Remember what happened the last time the three of us were near water, _old man_." Harry ruined his "threat" by snickering.

Looking around the interior, Ginny asked, "Where are we?"

Sirius pocketed the rope and led them out of the good-sized boathouse. Turning to face Harry and Ginny he threw out an arm and, adopting a formal air, declared, "Welcome to Dark Island. Singer Castle awaits."

"A castle?" Ginny eyed Sirius dubiously. "Here?"

Harry looked in the direction Sirius indicated. A short distance away, on a field of green grass, stood a four-story, gray-brown granite castle, and a four-story tower. Compared to Hogwarts, this one could barely be called a castle. At the top of the tower, a golden clock face informed him it was only a few minutes past ten o'clock.

Halfway to the castle, they were greeted by a docent, who proceeded to welcome them and gave them a brief history of the castle and island. Harry thought it odd that the person never questioned the fact that the three of them hadn't arrived with any groups, until the man mentioned they currently had a tour party in the castle and had a private tour group coming later. Harry reckoned the man had assumed they were another private party, even though there was no boat tied to the dock behind them.

Stepping inside, Harry's brows jumped to his hairline. The entranceway was much bigger than one would expect. To their left was a booth in which visitors paid for the tour. Sirius walked over and pulled out his wallet. Across from where Harry and Ginny stood, a suit of armor stood guard on each side of an enormous marble fireplace. Harry supposed it wouldn't be a castle without either one.

"Well, of course it has suits of armor," Ginny commented somewhat sarcastically, unknowingly echoing Harry's thought.

"And a fireplace, don't forget," Harry added. The two teens caught the gaze of the other, then snickered.

The others on the tour milled about, waiting for the tour to start. Sirius returned from paying, which signaled the docent it was okay to begin. Their tour guide opened the tour with the story of how the castle came to be built, before leading the group up a marble staircase. Harry turned to Ginny.

"And, of course, there's the requisite marble staircase leading out of the entrance room," Harry whispered in Ginny's ear, adding to their previous conversation.

Ginny snorted loudly, and slapped a hand over her nose and mouth. Sirius curiously studied Harry and Ginny, brows raised. Harry sheepishly scratched the side of his nose with his thumbnail, doing his best to hold in his laughter.

"Sorry," Harry whispered. "I'll explain later."

The next room they found themselves in was the Breakfast Room. The room was big enough to hold several medium-sized round tables. Plush light-colored carpet covered the floor. Three walls were nothing but tall gothic-styled windows with blue curtains that had been pulled up and out of the way to reveal a marvelous view of the St. Lawrence River.

"It's beautiful from up here," Ginny remarked of the vista. She looked around the room, a dreamy expression on her face. "I can almost imagine what it would be like to eat breakfast in here every morning, watching as the sun slowly lit the river."

Looking out at the river, Harry could almost picture it, himself. Maybe one day they'd have a nice home with a spectacular view. He certainly could afford to have one built. That was years from now, once the world was free of Voldemort, so Harry mentally filed away the thought of his and Ginny's home.

On the next floor up, the group was taken to the Library, a walnut-paneled room filled with mostly books from when the castle had been first built. Ginny murmured something about Hermione liking the room, and Harry had to agree. Their scholarly friend would, no doubt, find the old books fascinating and would want to sit down and lose herself in each of them.

As his gaze took in the room, he thought he saw a ghost disappear through a wall. He glanced at Sirius then Ginny to see if either of them had noticed. They hadn't. He looked back to the section of wall where the pearly white apparition vanished, and was slightly startled to see the ghost's head sticking out of the wall and staring straight at him, beckoning him to come closer.

"Er, Sirius, Ginny? We're being hailed. Look."

Both looked in the direction Harry indicated. Ginny gasped slightly. Sirius had a noncommittal response, but it sounded to Harry as if he was intrigued. Deciding to see what the ghost wanted, Harry walked over, albeit cautiously, not knowing whether it was simply a ghost or actually a poltergeist bent on mischief. Having been on the receiving end of Peeves' antics once or twice, Harry certainly didn't want to find himself in the same situation, with no way to explain things away to all the Muggles.

He glanced around to see if the Muggles were paying him any attention, but they were too busy studying the book spines and listening to the guide. Not wanting to be caught talking to a wall, Harry casually glanced around the room while asking what the specter—he saw now that it was a young woman clothed in a long dress that was typically worn seventy years ago—wanted.

"Follow me. There's something you should see." The young woman disappeared through the wall once more.

"Er, sorry, but how are we supposed to do that?" Harry asked softly, trying not to gain any of the Muggles' attention. "What is it you want us to see?"

The ghost popped her head back through the wall again and giggled. "Move the panel, silly. It leads to a secret passage behind the wall. Hurry. You need to see this."

Baffled by the ghost's words, Harry looked to his companions for help. Ginny looked just as puzzled as he was. Sirius seemed more wary. Noticing that their tour group was moving out of the room, Harry turned back to the ghost.

"We can't. Our group is leaving. We have to stay with them or they'll get suspicious."

"Nonsense. They never see anything. You _are_ the one I've been waiting for, aren't you?"

Harry froze at that. "What do you mean, the one you've been waiting for?"

"Many years ago, I was told to wait for the Seeker, that he would be coming and I was to show him the castle's secrets."

Harry exchanged glances with Ginny and Sirius. He wasn't sure what to think of that, and neither, apparently, were they. He noted their group moving on to another part of the castle, but no one gave them a second glance. He returned his attention back to their transparent 'friend.'

"What makes you think _I'm_ the one you're looking for? I mean, I _am_ a Seeker, but that's just in Quidditch."

The young ghost stared at Harry and he felt as if she could see into his very soul. "You are the one. You have sought many things in your life, some of which you've found," her eyes landed on Ginny then moved to Sirius before returning to Harry, "some of which you have yet to discover. Come, I must show you."

The ghostly young woman disappeared again through the wall. Harry turned to his girlfriend and godfather for guidance. "What do you think? Should we follow her? How would we explain our absence from the group?"

Sirius walked to the door and looked out. "They're long gone. I don't think they've even noticed we're not with them anymore. Honestly? I don't think it would hurt to find out exactly what she wants to show you. She obviously knows something about you."

"Maybe it'll help you, Harry, in your fight against Riddle," Ginny suggested. "I don't think you should ignore her."

Thinking it over, Harry decided they were probably right. He couldn't risk the chance that whatever it was might just help him. The choice made, Harry began running his hands along the section of wall the ghost had gone through. She'd said he simply needed to move the panel, so there had to be a button or lever or trigger of some sort. When he couldn't find anything, he balled a hand into a fist and hit the side of the panel, hard enough to let out his frustration, but not so hard as to do any damage. He heard a click, and the panel slid silently aside, revealing the narrow, lit stone passageway the ghost woman had mentioned.

"Let's go before someone notices," Sirius advised.

Harry went first, followed by Ginny, then Sirius. The woman reappeared and beckoned them to follow. Sirius pulled the panel shut behind them.

"Hope no one is claustrophobic," Sirius muttered.

Harry, curious about their guide, asked, "Who are you? How did you come to be here?"

"My name is Margaret Potter. My sister, Nancy, married George Bourne, son of the man who built this castle. I was here visiting..."

Harry wasn't listening, just moving on autopilot. His brain had stuck on the woman's name. Margaret Potter. Could she be a relative? Did his grandfather have any relatives? Surely, he would have heard, wouldn't he have? Maybe Uncle Remus hadn't known. Would Sirius know?

"Potter?" Ginny gasped, clutching his hand. "Harry, do you think...?"

"I don't know, Ginny." Harry looked over his shoulder as best he could. "Sirius, do you know if it's possible?"

"I don't, Harry, I'm sorry."

Disappointment flooded Harry. For a brief moment, there had been the hope that he actually wasn't the last Potter in the world. But then, just because neither Uncle Remus nor Sirius had known, that didn't mean that there weren't other relatives. Maybe he could ask the goblins to check his family vault for some record of his ancestors. Surely there would be one.

"Er, excuse me, Miss, but you wouldn't happen to have had any relatives come from England, would you have?"

The ghost stopped moving and Harry had to brace himself against the walls—which really wasn't all that difficult seeing as they were barely wide enough for a full-grown bloke—to keep himself from walking through her. She turned to face him, her gaze thoughtful. Ultimately, she shrugged.

"I don't know. I suppose it's possible. After all, most people in this country came from somewhere else. Why do you ask?"

Harry took a deep breath, taking comfort in feeling Ginny's hand gently rubbing his back. "Because _my_ name is Potter. Harry Potter. I was told I was the only one left."

The ghost woman—really, she looked to be about the age of a Hogwarts seventh-year—studied him carefully. "A Potter, you say? I'm sorry I can't help you more. Daddy never really talked much about his family. I think there was some sort of family trouble."

"It's okay. Maybe I have a book on my family history just waiting to be looked through." Deciding a change in topic was in order, Harry queried, "So, what is it you wish to show us?"

"Follow me."

The apparition began to glide again in the direction they had previously been heading. Reaching behind him, Harry covered the hand resting against his back with one of his own. It was a bit awkward walking that way, but it they managed. His fingers toyed with the ring he'd given to her on her birthday. So far, Bill's charm was working, but Harry knew that wouldn't last long. They definitely were going to need a more permanent solution. Harry made up his mind to insist that be one of the first things done as soon as they arrived at their school. He mentally kicked himself for not double checking the ring's metal content. He'd just been so excited to find it, and nothing else seemed right.

The four of them descended a narrow set of stone steps that reminded Harry of the spiraling staircase that led to Dumbledore's office, except these steps didn't move. Another lit hallway connected to the steps, with branches to either side of the steps. Their ghostly guide continued straight ahead, so Harry followed. They stopped at a large, wooden door several minutes later. The young woman floated through it. Harry, shrugging, reached for the old iron ring being used for a handle, and gave a sharp tug.

Harry had to admit, he hadn't been prepared to see what appeared to be a fully-stocked potions lab in a Muggle castle. By Ginny's gasp as she entered the room, Harry surmised she had been caught by surprise, as well. Sirius merely looked around in interest after closing the door behind him. From the looks of the thick layer of dust on the bottled ingredients, the lab hadn't been used in decades. Open books with spiky, scrawled notes in the margins, lay on a table top. Other ingredients stood next to them, some shriveled with age and indecipherable. Whoever had been here had left in a hurry.

"Okay, so it's a potions lab," Harry said, not understanding why they had been taken down there. "Yes, it's a bit odd in a Muggle castle, but it's not extraordinary or anything."

Margaret, looking frustrated, waved her arm around. "Look! See! Understand!"

Confused, Harry turned to Ginny and Sirius, but neither of them knew what was meant. Harry strode over to the cabinet and studied the bottles and jars. Nothing abnormal there. Turning around, he noticed Ginny studying the book, touching it as little as required to turn a page here and there. Sirius was busy examining some shapes in one wall, running his finger along them. Stepping closer, Harry could see that it was a chain of triangles that spanned the length of the wall.

"That's odd," Harry commented. "Why would someone carve triangles into the wall?"

Sirius shrugged. "Who knows? It was a different time then. Maybe it was high fashion or something."

Shaking his head, thinking he'd probably never know the answer, Harry joined Ginny, who was still looking through the book. "Find anything interesting?"

Ginny sighed. "Not really. This is an old text, older than this castle. The writing has faded so much I can't read it."

After attempting to read a passage on one of the pages, Harry gave up. The book had been written in Old English, or something similar, and the style of the letters looked to him like squiggles. Harry could feel the disappointment and frustration radiating from Ginny, so he cupped her face and placed a kiss on her forehead, then a soft one on her lips. Though he would love to _really_ kiss her, he held himself back. They had an audience, after all. He promised himself the next time Sirius took a shower, he would take full advantage of the opportunity and get in a good snog.

Taking a half-step back, he met Ginny's gaze and smiled. "It's fine, Ginny." One hand slid into her hair. "Maybe we'll solve this little mystery later, and maybe we won't. Don't let it bother you."

"It just seems so important. Why else would she bring us here?"

"You don't understand, now, but hopefully you will." Harry and Ginny startled at their transparent guide's proximity. "Your journey of discovery has only begun. Do not forget what you have seen here. Now, you must go. Join the others. I'll lead you to them."

The four of them left the potions lab behind, bypassing other corridors branching off the main one they were following.

"Where do those lead?" Ginny asked of their guide, as they passed another corridor.

"Oh, there's tunnels that lead all over this island. I think they were built as a safeguard against attack, but I'm not certain. After all, the family who built this castle were Muggles so who would be attacking them is a mystery."

After climbing several sets of narrow stone steps, their ghostly guide stopped them. "Your group just left. If you're quick, you can catch up to them."

Harry regarded the space in front of them a moment, wondering if there was another latch or lever like the Library panel they used to get into the secret passage, but he didn't see one. Upon closer inspection, he realized what exactly it was he was seeing. He felt really dumb for not noticing before, his face heating with embarrassment.

A few seconds later, the trio filed into the room, Harry holding the massive painting that had rotated ninety degrees. Harry thanked the girl for her help, but whipped around, wand in hand, at Ginny's gasp. Realizing her reaction to have been born of surprise rather than fear, he stowed his wand and took a good look of the room.

Harry really couldn't blame her. Upon each of the walls, heads of deer, elk, caribou and moose were prominently displayed. In the case of the wall adorned with the moose head, a fireplace took up some of the space, ready to be used. The side tables, chairs, sofas and desks of the room were made of a rich mahogany wood. The forest green upholstery and window hangings, along with a matching green area rug gave the room a very masculine feel.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't think I could ever be comfortable in a room like this." She shuddered. "That's just so cruel. I don't understand how anyone could do such a thing. It's one thing to hunt for food, but to stick its head up there like some kind of trophy is just mean. It's so … Malfoy-ish."

Harry draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Don't worry. You won't have to worry about a room like this … ever."

His reward was for Ginny to wrap an arm around his waist and to kiss his cheek. The contact of her lips against his skin sent little electric pulses zipping through him, giving him gooseflesh. His cheek tingled, his breath caught, and he fought hard to suppress the shudder that threatened to expose just how affected he was by her sweet kiss.

"We should go," Sirius advised, unknowingly helping Harry focus on something other than the girl he

held, "before our group gets too far."

"Right," Harry agreed, clearing his throat. One glance at Ginny's smirk told Harry she was well aware of how he'd felt and took joy in causing such a reaction.

Taking Ginny's hand, Harry followed Sirius out of the room, catching up with their tour group at the top of the staircase they'd seen upon entering the castle. After thanking the docent for the tour, the three wandered back toward the boathouse where they'd arrived. Taking out their Portkey, Sirius told them each to take hold, then activated it, returning them to just outside the United Nations Headquarters building, hidden by a stand of decorative trees and shrubbery. After Sirius dropped the length of rope into a wicker basket sitting beside a shrub, the three of them walked out to the street, Sirius hailing a taxi to take them to the airport, their luggage currently residing in their pockets.

0000

Again, Harry distracted Ginny from their ascension, just as he had initially done. In just over an hour, the plane landed. Sirius hailed another taxi that took them to their hotel. It had the same exterior and name as the other one, leading Harry to believe it was owned by the same people or company that owned the first one. This time, their room was located on the top floor.

Once he'd entered the room, Harry could see it wasn't just the outside of the building that matched the other hotel. The rooms were identical, as well, not that it mattered to him. He didn't care what the rooms looked like. All that mattered was that the beds were comfortable. Not wanting to assume he would be taking the first bed again, Harry turned to his other two companions.

"I claim the sofa," Sirius said, dropping his bag onto it.

Not knowing how to ask Ginny which bed she wanted without stuttering his way through it, Harry kept silent, opting to raise his eyebrows in question and motioning towards the beds. Prickling heat burned in his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He couldn't help it. Just the _thought_ of Ginny and beds made his insides feel all twisted together.

"Would you mind terribly if I took the first one?" Ginny asked anxiously. She turned to Sirius. "I know it would be more difficult to put up a barrier ..."

"Don't worry, Ginny," Sirius reassured her kindly. "It's not a difficult thing to do."

To show he didn't really care which one she chose, Harry dropped his bag on the floor at the foot of the second bed and plopped down, falling backward with a sigh. Folding his hands behind his head, he looked over at his godfather.

"So, why did we come to Buffalo?"

Sirius grinned. Rummaging around the desk, he pulled out a color brochure from a little tray sitting there. He held it out to Harry. "Can't come to New York without seeing one of the country's best waterfalls. It's only thirty minutes away."

Harry looked over the brochure, reading the little informative tidbits it gave. "Sounds like fun."

"But first things first, I need to check things out. Yes, this one is laid out like the other one, but I want to be sure."

Harry's heart began to race. Maybe he wasn't going to have to wait for Sirius' shower to get in a little snogging after all. All his hopes were ruthlessly dashed when Sirius suggested Ginny talk to her family again since she hadn't done so in a couple of days. Pasting a smile onto his face, he dug out his mirror and handed it to Ginny. His disappointment melted away at the excitement shining in her eyes. He couldn't begrudge her the time spent staying connected to her family. Family truly was one of the most important things a person could have. And really, he did feel a bit guilty for not keeping in touch with Hermione, Neville, and Ron as much as he could have. He needed to do better.

To give Ginny a bit of privacy, Harry pulled out his music player, slipped the earbuds into his ears and started the music. This group had a heavier style than the first one he'd listened to, lots of guitar and drums, a driving rhythm that called to the savagery that lived within him. The band members played and sang with a wildness that Harry could easily understand. Keeping the beat by tapping his stomach, he tuned everything else out.

0000

Sirius chuckled to himself as he closed the door behind him. He'd seen the look in Harry's eyes, could practically see the wheels turning in the boy's head. Sirius had to do _something_ to diffuse that situation, and knew that suggesting Ginny talk to her parents would be the proverbial blast of cold water that Harry needed. In a way, Sirius felt sorry for the two of them. They'd had little to no time alone together, and that wasn't changing any time soon. A long shower or two was the best he could offer them.

After scoping out the locations of the exits and where the pool, exercise room and restaurant was, he headed back to their room. Unlocking the door, he stepped in. Ginny's giggles immediately cut off.

"Sorry, to interrupt. Here, I'll cast the same charm I used before so that your conversation can remain private."

Waving his wand and walking around her bed, he cast the spell. He grinned at the sight of Harry lying on his bed, eyes closed, knees bent, his stockinged feet flat and tapping out the rhythm to whatever it was he was listening to. Sirius doubted Harry could hear much of anything else, but just to be safe, he continued the spell, effectively encasing Ginny in a bubble. She could hear them, but they couldn't hear her.

If he were to be honest with himself, he was glad Ginny seemed to be coping well. Granted, they hadn't been gone long, but so far, so good. Ginny's relaxed manner certainly made this trip easier. A thought occurred to him as he reached for the door of their loo, giving him pause. What if she was coping too well? Would he even know? Should he say something and hope she gave him a sign of her true feelings? And how in Merlin's name was it that a thirteen-year-old girl had him anxiously worrying over something that hadn't even occurred?

Rolling his eyes at himself, Sirius entered the loo, knowing full well that there was a very good chance Moony, Prongs, and Lily were laughing uproariously at his expense.

0000

Ginny put the mirror on the table beside her bed. It was nice to talk to both her parents this time. Naturally, her dad was full of questions about the aeroplanes and everything else Muggle-related., though he took it gracefully when he asked something she couldn't answer. She wanted very badly to be able to tell them everything. She sighed. Just a little longer. She had to be patient just a little while longer.

The talk with Hermione was entertaining. When Ginny admitted—after taking note that Harry couldn't hear anything but the music in his ears—to taking the first bed and letting Harry have the one by the wall, Hermione's brows rose, but she couldn't hide her grin, which in turn, made Ginny giggle. That was when Sirius returned, placed the privacy charm around her, and disappeared into the loo.

Ginny couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, though. Hermione was at home with the one she fancied and couldn't do anything about it, and here she, Ginny, was complaining about not getting any alone time with her boyfriend. Her frustration over the lack of quality time with Harry threatened to explode all over anyone in the vicinity like a volcano blowing its top. Was it really too much to ask for a bit of time to snog her boyfriend? It almost physically hurt to hold his hand every day, sleep nearly within an arm's reach of him at night, and _not_ kiss him the way she really longed to. She wasn't sure how much more she could take. Harry might just find himself getting snogged in Sirius' presence, whether he liked it or not.

Ginny's gaze wandered to her boyfriend and she felt the rush of affection's warmth fill her. Now that she wasn't concentrating on what she wanted to say to her family, she could detect strains of the music he listened to coming from the earbuds. Despite having acute hearing, he turned the volume up higher than he normally did, risking a massive headache, just so she could have some privacy. Oh, she was _so_ tempted to show him how much she appreciated his selflessness—well, as long as he didn't take that selflessness to an extreme, at any rate.

Sirius exited the loo so Ginny let him know it was safe to remove the charm. He nodded, produced his wand, and began the motions for disabling the charm he used.

"Silly question, I'm sure, but have a nice chat?"

Ginny nodded, grinning. "I did! Dad asked me about a million questions about the aeroplanes! He asked about other things, like what we've been doing. I told him what I could, keeping things very generalized."

"I appreciate you doing that, Ginny. I know it can't be easy to not be able to share everything with them." Sirius' gaze flicked to Harry still tapping to some unknown beat. "I'm just terrified that we'll be discovered. In a way, we're very exposed, traveling the way we are. If anything were to happen, we'd be on our own."

"I understand, Sirius, and so does my family. We all want what's best for Harry." Her own gaze jumped to boy they were discussing. "Speaking of what's best for Harry, you wouldn't happen to have any headache potions, would you? I'm fairly certain that volume is up louder than it really should be, and that his head is going to be bothering him." Sweet, wonderful git.

"I do, but I'm saving them for the full moon. Well, they're more a general pain potion than a headache potion. Regardless, I'd rather save them if at all possible. I do have some Muggle headache pills I picked up at the hotel's front desk in New York City."

She hadn't even thought about the full moon! How could she have forgotten? Face burning with her shame, eyes tearing, Ginny turned away from Harry. She was so awful to have not remembered that. Harry couldn't forget it. The least she could do was remember it, too. Oh, she was a terrible girlfriend! She didn't deserve a boyfriend as sweet, and caring, and selfless as Harry. She flinched at the soft pressure on her chin, forcing her to meet Sirius' concerned gaze.

"I haven't even thought of the full moon," Ginny tearfully whispered. "I'm so terrible! Harry deserves better."

Ginny initially resisted Sirius' attempt to draw her into a hug, but his gentle strength won out, and she let herself be enfolded into his arms, at least temporarily. Afraid Harry might turn off his music and see her crying, she stepped away from Sirius and wiped the tears from her face.

"You're not terrible, Ginny. There's been a lot happening lately. So it slipped your mind. It's not the end of the world. I can guarantee you that Harry is better off _with_ you than _without_ you. Okay?"

Sniffling, Ginny nodded. "Thanks." She quickly inhaled and let it out slowly, taking another swipe at the wetness on her cheeks. "So, what's the plan for that night?"

"We won't be here; we'll have moved on. For that night, we'll have a bigger room. In fact, it's a suite, with two bedrooms and a sitting area. I have enough Wolfsbane Potion for the week leading up to the full moon. He'll have a room to himself so he can transform in there. All the walls will have a Silencing Charm placed on them to keep any sounds from escaping to where they shouldn't go."

More in control of herself, Ginny nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Speaking of, what's the plan for the rest of today?"

Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, just to wander around, see what's here, maybe do some shopping."

"Sounds like fun."

"Good. Why don't you go drag Harry back from music-land, and I'll get the headache medicine out." Sirius grinned wickedly. "I'll give you ten minutes to drag him back to reality however you see fit. Well, within reason, of course."

Ginny blushed furiously, but couldn't keep the smile from her face. She knew exactly how she planned to get Harry's attention. Stepping lightly to Harry's bed, she waited until Sirius was settled on the couch, his nose in his book, before gathering her hair in one hand and leaning over to press her lips to Harry's. He startled, but a second or two later, he deepened the kiss, fervently giving her the snog she'd been wanting.

Ten minutes later, Ginny jerked away and rubbed her leg. "Ow!" Sirius had thumped her leg sharply.

"Time's up," Sirius said impenitently.

Turning back to Harry, she saw he'd pulled the earbuds from his ears, looking at her in concern. "I'm fine, Harry. I suspect you aren't, though. Thanks for the privacy, but you didn't have to go overboard with the volume. I don't want you hurting."

Harry shrugged. "I didn't want to overhear anything that I shouldn't. I wanted you to be able to say whatever you wanted to, without the fear of being heard."

Ginny sat next to him on the bed. Sirius handed over to her the medicine and a cup of water. "Here," she offered them to Harry, "take this. It's what Muggles use for headaches. It'll help."

Glad he didn't try to downplay how much his head bothered him, Ginny watched him swallow the pills and hand the empty cup back to Sirius. After requesting that Harry let him know when the medicine began to work, Sirius returned to his book, leaving Harry and Ginny alone again. While they weren't being watched, Ginny took the opportunity to lean in and give Harry a soft kiss.

"Tá grá agam duit," she whispered, telling him she loved him.

"Go síoraí, mo chroí." _Forever, my heart._

Ginny beamed. It hadn't been the first time he'd used that term of endearment, but that didn't mean the effect from hearing it had lessened. Sometimes, she simply couldn't believe she'd been gifted with Harry as her best mate and boyfriend—and he truly was a gift, whether he wanted to believe that or not, which she knew from previous conversations that he didn't believe it. She could only hope that she'd shown him every day how much she appreciated him.

The two of them sat on his bed, shoulders touching and leaning against the wall, talking softly as they waited for Harry's headache to subside.

0000

Two days later, Harry awoke, his breath hitching as he stretched, reminding him that the full moon was now a week away. Oh, how he wished that Transformation Suppression potion, the details of which had been found in the Basilisk's lair, had worked for him! Granted, there was a good chance it would have no effect on the pain he endured pre- and post-transformations, but it would have been nice to have found out. He briefly wondered if Snape was even still working on it. Maybe there was still a chance the potion would work for him. That was something to ponder another time. Taking his time, he slowly sat up.

"Alright, Harry?" Sirius asked upon noticing Harry was awake. "Stupid question. Of course you're not. If you need a pain potion, I have a few doses."

Dragging a hand over his face, Harry shook his head. "No, let's save them. I'm sure I'll want them later."

"Okay, well, Ginny's getting dressed. Why don't you get your clothes out? You can change when she comes out. Then, we'll head down to the hotel gym."

Yawning and running a hand through his hair, Harry nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Grabbing his glasses from the bedside table, he got up and dug around in his suitcase for his exercise clothes. As he waited for the loo to be free, he checked the weather. It looked to be a clear day. Yesterday, it had rained, forcing to the three of them to spend the day indoors. It would be a good day to visit that huge waterfall, Niagara. He suspected they would have gone yesterday if it had been clear. Harry couldn't conceive of something so huge, and was looking forward to seeing it, maybe have some more pictures taken.

Turning back to his godfather, Harry asked, "How did Ginny seem? Was she okay? Did she seem to be in much pain?" The blank look on Sirius' face clued Harry in to the fact that she hadn't said anything. "Oh. I thought you knew." He faced out the window again, his heart constricting, as he softly said, "She's been affected by those marks I gave her, you know, when Uncle Remus died. Obviously, she wasn't turned, but her tastes have changed when it comes to certain foods, and she told me she gets sore with the coming of the full moon, too. Not as badly I do, but still..."

"Sorry, kiddo. She didn't say a thing. I'll make sure you both get some extra stretching in before moving on to the main work-out."

"That would be good."

Ginny chose that moment to step out of the loo, dressed in her usual shorts and tee shirt, hair pulled back into a ponytail. He'd always feel guilty about the scars he'd given her, but whenever she smiled at him, like she was now, her smile never failed to chase the guilt away. Returning her smile, Harry walked over to her. Bracing himself, he admitted to having let out her secret.

"Oh. It's okay, Harry. Sirius would have figured it out eventually anyway. No harm done." She flashed him a teasing grin and winked. "Now, go get dressed so that we can get this torture session over with. I want to go see that waterfall."

Harry grinned. "Well, then, I guess I'd better get around, then."

"Here, Harry," Sirius said, holding out a smoking goblet, "take this before we get too busy."

Grimacing, Harry dutifully downed the potion before disappearing into the loo to change his clothes.

0000

The visit to Niagara Falls was fun. The power of all that water rushing over the cliff was simply spectacular, and very humbling. One tends to forget that one is truly at the mercy of Mother Nature. They took a boat ride that took them along the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which, needless to say, sprayed them all. Thankfully, they wore protective gear that kept them mostly dry. Sirius insisted on taking a few pictures, just like all the other tourists.

From there, Sirius talked them into taking the Cave of the Winds tour, too, which, after taking them down into the gorge, allowed them to walk along a boardwalk up to the Hurricane Deck mere feet from the actual falls. Harry held tightly to Ginny's hand and made sure she was sandwiched between himself and Sirius, so that the high-powered winds buffeting them didn't knock her around too terribly much. Although they wore more protective gear, Harry could feel his clothes and hair dampening thanks to the wind blowing the spray. Those little droplets managed to find every gap between his gear and his clothes and hair.

He had to admit, it was thrilling to be so close to all that rushing water. Even though he was certain he looked like a drowned rat, Harry posed with Ginny for some pictures once they reached the top. He even managed to get Sirius to stand beside Ginny so he could take their picture. Then, naturally, Ginny turned it around and made Harry stand beside Sirius.

They thought about crossing the Rainbow Bridge into Canada, but neither Harry nor Ginny was very comfortable with the height, so they chose to do a little souvenir shopping instead. For lunch, they stopped at a diner, then returned to Buffalo. After making sure they had everything packed, they left the hotel.

"So, where to, now?" Harry asked, not expecting an actual answer.

"You'll see," Sirius answered, apparently still keeping the mystery alive. "It's about half the size of Buffalo, population-wise. It's not far away, only about an hour and a half so we're driving this one."

Harry shrugged, not really caring how they reached their next stop. He was feeling a bit tired after that long walk up to the Hurricane Deck at Niagara Falls. Maybe he'd rest on the way to wherever it was they were heading next. Ginny must have thought he needed the rest, too, for she patted her shoulder once they'd climbed into the back of the car.

"I make a fairly decent pillow. You look like you could use the sleep."

Sliding down into his seat, Harry dropped his head to Ginny's shoulder. Before long, the motion of the car lulled him to sleep. Sometime later, he woke to someone gently patting his cheek. Lifting his head, he stiffly sat up. Yawning, he took off his glasses to rub his eyes in an effort to wake up more.

"We're almost there," Ginny softly informed him.

Replacing his glasses, Harry asked, "Where's 'there'?"

Front the front seat, Sirius answered, "Welcome to Erie, Pennsylvania."


	6. Make Some Light

… _**Light is precious in a world so dark … Make some light.**_

 _ **-Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux**_

Harry could only gawk at the hotel Sirius drove up to. It was big and tall, it was fancy, and it was situated on a huge body of water. Okay, maybe not _on_ the water, but it was certainly right on the edge. Once they'd parked and climbed out of the car, Harry turned to his godfather, brows raised in silent question.

"What?" Sirius asked, obviously not bothered with his choice in hotels. "I thought this would be a great place to stay." Harry figured he must have seen the anxiety creeping into him at the thought of some place fancy, because Sirius went on to say, "Trust me, it's not like you think. Just reserve judgment for now."

When they stepped into the lobby, Harry immediately relaxed. With the comfortable furniture centered around a fireplace, other tables and chairs, and a staircase leading to the upper floors, it reminded Harry of the Gryffindor common room, just with nicer furniture and housed in an upscale building. This one was lit by a chandelier of light bulbs rather than candles, but the feeling the room gave off was still the same. Up a lift, which had been tucked behind the stairs, down the hall, and they were at their room.

Ginny entered the room first, gasping as she dropped her bag on the first bed and continued to the window. The drapes were wide open. The large lake filled most of the view.

"It's huge! I don't think even the Hogwarts lake is that big!"

"That would be Lake Eerie, one of the five Great Lakes. The fourth largest, as a matter of fact."

Ginny's eyes grew round. "There's three lakes _bigger_ than that one?"

"There are. That's the same lake we saw parts of in Buffalo."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Harry asked, not sure he should believe what he and Ginny were being told. "It sounds a bit dodgy to me."

With a cheeky grin, Sirius tapped his temple. "I read, Harry. You might want to try it sometime. You never know what you might learn."

"I read!" Harry shot back and, feeling a bit nettled, crossed his arms over his chest. His pique melted away the instant Ginny's hands landed on his shoulders from behind.

"Of course you do, Harry," she said, brushing her lips against cheek. "You certainly challenged Hermione in classes and you wouldn't have done that if you didn't read."

"Wow, Harry," Sirius said, shaking his head sadly. "One touch from Ginny and you're purring like a kitten." He heaved a sigh. "I guess there's a new Beast Master, now." Before Harry could ask what that meant, Sirius changed the subject. "I'm taking a quick look around. Be good. Have a chat with your friends. I won't be long. We'll only be staying the one night."

With that, Sirius pocketed the room key and left. Harry turned around, gathering Ginny into his arms, and kissing her forehead. As much as he would love to do some more snogging, he figured Sirius really wouldn't be gone very long, and being interrupted wasn't high on his list of things he wanted to have happen. A few seconds passed before he pulled slightly away. Looking into Ginny's eyes, he thought maybe she was disappointed, but then she smiled, and he realized she understood his unwillingness to go beyond their embrace.

Harry dropped his head to hers and sighed. "I didn't think this would be so difficult, being with you all day, every day, but it is. Don't get me wrong, I love that we're together. I just—"

"You hate holding my hand and not really being able to spend some time alone to talk or get in a good snog."

Harry leaned back to look into her eyes again, surprised she'd verbalized exactly what he'd been feeling. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Because I feel the same way, Harry."

"Good to know." Harry sighed again, then let Ginny go. "When do the Hogwarts letters usually come? Do you think Dumbledore has figured out by now that we're not in England anymore?"

"I don't know. Let's talk to Ron, Hermione, and Neville and find out."

Harry retrieved his mirror and the two teens lay shoulder to shoulder on Harry's bed, propped up on their folded arms, and spent the next while talking to their friends. As it turned out, the Hogwarts letters _had_ been sent out. Ron grumbled about having to have dress robes for the upcoming school year, complaining that his were stinky ancient maroon relics with lace. Harry thought Hermione was excited about the prospect of attending a formal school function, judging by the exasperation on her face as she listened to Ron's complaints. Harry couldn't tell what Neville was thinking.

"So, Ron," Ginny started in with a smirk at her brother, "you _do_ realize that this means you need to ask a girl out, don't you? That's normally what happens when there's a formal school function."

The color in Ron's cheeks leached out, leaving an ashen complexion behind, his eyes wide. "I what?"

Ginny nodded, still smirking. "And there's no backing out or going alone, either. Mum already bought your robes. You wouldn't want to upset Mum, would you?"

Harry bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. Deciding to get in on the fun, he said to Hermione, "So, Hermione, anyone in particular you're hoping will ask you to whatever school function is coming?"

"Harry!" Hermione screeched, then sputtered, blushing furiously.

Ginny snorted, then hid her face against Harry's shoulder. He could feel her shaking in silent laughter. To give her some time to compose herself, he asked Neville if he was looking forward to wearing his dress robes.

Neville shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable. "They're black like our school robes so it won't be too awful, but I just don't know if I can actually ask a girl to go with me. There isn't anyone I'm particularly interested in anymore."

"But there was once? Why not ask her to go as friends, then?"

Neville's gaze jumped to Ginny, her head still resting on Harry's shoulder, before looking away and shook his head. "I can't."

"You'll find someone, Neville," Hermione quickly said. "You're a great bloke, and ..."

Harry's brow furrowed in puzzlement as he watched and listened to the conversation play out between Hermione and Neville. Neville had sounded a bit sad when he'd said he couldn't ask the girl to go to the school formal with him. And what was with that quick glance at Ginny? Did Ginny know who Neville had once fancied? Hermione seemed to, judging by the way she jumped in and started praising Neville.

Their hotel room door opened, causing Harry to tense, but upon seeing it was only Sirius entering, he relaxed and returned to his friends. When there was a lull in the conversation, Harry asked about Dumbledore, if any of them knew whether the Headmaster discovered he and Ginny weren't returning to Hogwarts.

Ron spoke up first. "Nothing's been said yet. Or, at least, Mum and Dad haven't said anything."

Neville agreed with Ron. "I haven't heard anything, either. Then again, it wasn't that long ago when the school letters were sent out."

"Right, Harry." Hermione, nodding, looked to be considering something if the little furrow in her brow was any indication, and Harry was sure that it was. He was proven correct. "The letters were a little late this year. Knowing Dumbledore, he'll likely try to find out why he hasn't heard from you. I'm meaning that he may do whatever he can to find you, and if he does, to talk you into going back to Hogwarts."

Every muscle in Harry's body tensed. "Well, that won't happen," he stated unequivocally. "I'm not going back—not until I'm more prepared to face things there."

Fingers caressed his arm, instantly soothing him. Harry shifted a tiny bit to allow his hand to connect with hers, giving her a small smile in thanks.

Sirius stepped up to the bed and looked into the mirror. "Will you let us know if you hear anything about Dumbledore? It would be good to have some warning. I don't think he'll find us, but he's as crafty as they come. I'm not going to underestimate him."

The three immediately agreed. However, Hermione appeared worried. "Sirius, we know you went to America. Is that a problem? Should our memories be altered?"

"My entire family knows you went over there. What about them?" Ron said, nodding, now looking just as worried as Hermione.

"No need for anything drastic," Sirius reassured them. "There _is_ one thing you need to know. And Ron, you should tell your family this as well. Dumbledore is a Master Legilimens, which means he can get into your heads to see your thoughts. Do _not_ look him in the eye. That's how Legilimency works. Look between his eyes, look at his forehead, or his nose, wherever—just not directly into his eyes. Understood?"

Again, the three nodded their agreement. Hermione muttered, "So we treat him like a basilisk."

Ron and Neville paled at the comparison. Harry felt Ginny's shudder at the reminder of her first year and immediately wrapped his arm around her, squeezing her gently. Before he withdrew his arm, he brushed his lips across her temple in the lightest—but no less sincere—of kisses.

Sirius nodded. "If that's what it takes to remind you, then, yes. Try not to be obvious about it, though."

His guardianship duty fulfilled, Sirius plopped onto the sofa to read. Harry and Ginny continued discussing the upcoming school year, Hermione lamenting the fact that Ginny was going to miss out, to which Ginny responded by reminding her friend that Sirius had insisted she buy the dresses, so she likely wasn't going to miss out on any formal school functions or dances.

A few minutes later, Harry and Ginny bid the others good-bye, knowing it was getting late back home. As it was dinnertime, the three wandered down to the hotel restaurant to eat before Sirius drove them to the local mall, getting lost along the way. As they'd only previously visited individual shops before, the mall took Harry and Ginny by surprise. Both teens likened the atmosphere to a very busy Diagon Alley—that is, if Diagon Alley was two or three times its normal size, had people rushing here and there, music blared from unseen speakers, and was enclosed in a building.

All was going fine until they wandered into one particular shop. Tee shirts hung against the walls with novelty items filling shelves on the floor. Reading a few shirts or sayings on the trinkets had Harry's brows jumping in surprise. Ron would have had his mouth washed out with soap if he'd uttered some of the phrases Harry saw. Further into the shop, Harry noticed a trend towards more vulgarity, and began to feel a bit uncomfortable.

Upon one shelf, on blatant display, was a novelty item that made Harry blush so hard he was certain he glowed. Diverting his gaze, his eyes landed on something else that compounded his blush. He reached out to grab Ginny, intent on pulling her out of the store, but Sirius was there first, one hand on each of their elbows, nearly dragging them out and not stopping until they were well away, muttering the entire time.

"Not a word, either of you. Especially you, Ginny. Your mum would hex my bits off if she knew you saw stuff like that."

Ginny, just as red as Harry, snickered at Sirius' choice of words, then burst into a fit of laughter. Pointing back the way they'd come, she choked out, "You could always get more."

Harry let out a snort of suppressed laughter. In spite of his best efforts, he couldn't hold it back and it exploded out of his mouth. He laughed so hard he could barely stand, tears dampening his cheeks. Eventually, he did manage to get himself under control, but for a while afterwards, a single glance at Ginny would send him snickering and blushing again.

Their night out enjoyed, the three returned to the hotel and decided to go to bed early. Some time during the night, Harry needed some water, so he fumbled for his glasses and somewhat stiffly rose. A digital alarm clock dimly lit the room, but not well enough to really see by. He proved it when he smacked his toes into the leg of the chair at the desk. Pressing his lips tightly together, he winced as the pain throbbed in time to his heart, all the while silently screaming every curse word that came to mind, along with some of the phrases he'd seen earlier. Once he thought he could, he hobbled his way to the loo, extra careful to not hit anything else. Next time, he swore, he would use his wand and just do his best to hide the light.

Thirst quenched, Harry passed by Ginny's bed again, freezing in place when she rolled onto her back. Her hair spread across her pillow, and that surprised him because she normally plaited it to avoid tangles. In the faint light, her hair looked nothing like its usual vibrant self. Harry found he missed its color, which was entirely stupid since he just saw it a few hours ago.

Following, in reverse, the splash of darkness across the white pillow, his eyes landed on her face, relaxed in sleep. Her pale complexion combined with the clock beside her made it easier for him to make out her features. He tilted his head to one side in contemplation as he studied her face. The curve of her brow to the softly jutting cheekbone with its hollow underneath, and the angle of her jaw flowing into a gently pointing chin that often, Harry knew from personal experience, was raised in determination, all hinted at the true beauty Ginny would be once she reached adulthood—not that Harry thought she wasn't already very pretty. He very much thought so and was glad she belonged to him.

That thought made the beast inside him let out a possessive howl. His gaze dipped lower, but he turned away before he looked somewhere he shouldn't. Unfortunately, his brain didn't cooperate and brought to mind the things he saw in that shop earlier, raising his body temperature from both embarrassment and something else. It was that 'something else' that forced his feet to move him back to his bed, his tender toes forgotten.

Dropping his glasses onto the bedside table, he lay down, pulling the blankets up to his waist, and tucked his hands behind his head, expelling a huge breath with puffed cheeks. He felt … electrified … and the yearning for her lips against his, the ferocity of it, shook him—literally and figuratively. Why now? Why did this happen now? It wasn't as if he and Ginny hadn't spent the last few days in close proximity. Was it the full moon's approach? Or was it …? Harry nearly groaned aloud. Uncle Remus had warned him this might happen. How was he supposed to function now if all he could think about was …? No, he couldn't go there. He had to gain some semblance of control, to force his mind to stop throwing up enticing images. Harry feared he was in for a long night.

0000—Thurs Aug 18

"Harry, rise and shine, kiddo," came a voice that Harry truly wanted to ignore. He moaned and rolled away from the hand lightly shaking him. "Come on, Harry, it's nine o'clock. I let you have a lie-in, but now it's time to get up. I have a treat for you today."

Yeah, well, _he'd_ been having a real treat, too, in the form of a spectacular dream. The instant he recalled the details of said spectacular dream, his eyes flew open, his face reddening. He'd been dreaming of himself and Ginny, which, in and of itself wasn't unusual as he'd dreamed of the two of them before. No, this time, they'd been kissing rather intensely, and his hands were in places they had no business being. To further torture him, his brain conjured up the taste and feel of her lips against his. Burying his face in his pillow, he groaned, unable to even _look_ in Ginny's direction.

"I know it's hard to get up."

Harry couldn't help thinking, _You might be surprised._ Then, Sirius mentioned taking it easy on the exercise. Good. He wasn't so sure he could handle a full work-out today. Careful to keep his gaze from finding Ginny, he rolled onto his back, pulling his knees up, hoping that would be sufficient to prove to Sirius he was really awake. Sure enough, Sirius moved away to his bag and pulled out the bottle of Wolfsbane Potion.

Harry struggled to sit up, but by the time Sirius returned, he was braced against the wall, preparing himself for the potion's horrendous taste. He had yet to look in Ginny's direction, but if she noticed his lack of attention, she didn't say anything. He took the lightly smoking, potion-filled cup and gulped down its contents. Grimacing he handed the cup back to Sirius before grabbing his glasses. After gathering the comfortable shorts and shirt he wore to exercise in, Harry disappeared into the loo.

0000

Minerva sat at her desk reviewing her lesson plans for the year when she felt the sudden urge to check the school roster. Brushing off the sensation, she went back to looking over her lessons. Minutes later, the feeling returned, stronger than before. Sighing heavily, she stood and stepped over to the magical quill that penned and addressed all the school letters. Next to the quill lay a current school roster. Not knowing what else to do, Minerva picked up the roster and gave it a cursory glance.

Growing annoyed with herself, she started to drop the list back onto the table, but her eyes scanned the middle year again—and that's when she realized something. Paying closer attention to the individual names, she went down the fourth year list one more time. Not finding the name she expected to see, she scanned the fifth year, then the sixth. Doubting she'd find his name under the seventh year list, nevertheless, she checked it, too. Sure enough, it wasn't there, either. Running her finger down the third year list, she found another name missing.

"They're not here? At all?"

Puzzled, Minerva studied the roster again. Nothing had changed. Neither Harry nor Ginny's name appeared anywhere on the list. What in Merlin's name was going on? Could they be on holiday or something? She could believe that of Harry. No doubt Sirius took Harry traipsing all over the British Isles, and no one deserved it more, but what about Ginny? And if they were taking a holiday somewhere, why would it register with Hogwarts as if they wouldn't be attending school?

Minerva set the roster back onto the table where it resided, her thoughts jumbled. She knew that, in order for the Weasleys to have taken any sort of real holiday, they would have had to have come into a lot of gold, for it was well-known they barely managed to get by. Her instincts screamed that something wasn't right. Surely, Molly or Arthur would have said something if things weren't okay, but Minerva couldn't think of any other explanation.

Checking the time, she saw that it was nine o'clock, early, but not too early to make a fire-call. Stepping over to her hearth, she dug into the jar sitting on the mantle. Tossing the glittery powder into the fire, she knelt down and stuck her head into the green flames, calling out for Molly.

"Oh, Hello, Minerva," Molly greeted her warmly. "How are you? Getting ready for the new year?"

"Well, I have a bit of a mystery on my hands. May I stop in?"

"Certainly! I'll make some tea."

"Alright. I'll be there soon."

Minerva withdrew her head from the fire, stepped over to her desk, then hesitated. Should she mention this to Albus? Being the Headmaster, shouldn't he be informed? What if she said something and this little mystery amounted to nothing? Her status as Deputy Headmistress did have its perks, however. It could wait until she had more information. Quickly organizing her lesson plans, Minerva returned to the table, grabbed the roster, then returned to her Floo and stepped in, calling out her destination.

"Hello, Minerva. Come on into the kitchen and we'll have that tea."

"Thank you, Molly. I appreciate you allowing me to come over so early this morning."

Molly waved a hand. "Oh, it's nothing, Minerva. It's always nice to have company of the adult variety."

Minerva followed Molly into the kitchen and sat at the heavily-gouged, thick wooden table. Molly's comment provided the perfect opening. Cupping her tea, she gently broached the subject for which she'd come.

"How are the kids? Ready for another school year?"

"Yes and no, depending on who you ask."

Well, that was a bit vague. She'd have to try again, try something more direct. "I would assume Hermione would be the one who is ready for the new year. Perhaps she can influence Ron, though if she hasn't done so by now, perhaps it cannot be done. " She looked over the tops of her glasses. "And I imagine the twins are hard at work finding ways to amuse us all." Watching Molly closely, she asked, "What of Ginny? I've always thought she was a mix of her brothers."

Minerva's careful scrutiny paid off. The cheerful light in Molly's eyes dimmed and she tensed ever so slightly. Her smile faltered somewhat before broadening again.

"Oh, yes, I do believe she's looking forward to school."

Reaching into her pocket, Minerva pulled out the folded roster she'd brought with her, tapping its edges on the tabletop. "I don't mean to put you in an uncomfortable position, but I must know." Minerva unfolded the parchment, then slid it across the table until it rested in front of Molly. "Something came to my attention this morning. Really, I'm not sure how I missed it, but two names are missing from that school list."

Molly paled, then jumped up and fiddled with the tea kettle, rinsing it out and preparing it for more tea. She, then, arranged biscuits 'just so' on a platter and brought it to the table.

"Biscuit, Minerva?" Molly asked, sounding nervous.

Out of politeness, Minerva took one, but set it down rather than eating it. "Please, Molly. Tell me what's going on."

Molly took out her wand and cast some privacy charms. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but I need to talk to someone about it." Her shoulders drooped and Minerva thought the woman looked as if she carried a heavy burden. "Harry and Ginny aren't here, and they won't be here until June."

"What? Where did they go? What about school?"

"I don't know exactly where they went. Sirius wouldn't say. They left a week ago. I've been in contact with them and they're fine. Ginny sounds as if she's enjoying herself immensely. As for school, they'll be attending one wherever it is they end up."

"You let Ginny go off to parts unknown with Harry and Sirius?"

Molly sighed. "It was either let her go or have her try to get to Harry on her own. Arthur and I thought it best to just consent to her going. As Ginny so succinctly pointed out, she's destined to help Harry in some capacity to win this war we're going to be finding ourselves in. Since that's the case, it made sense to let her go. You see, Harry decided a few months ago that Hogwarts wasn't safe enough for him, which as we saw, was quite accurate. He wanted to prepare himself mentally, physically, and magically for what's coming and didn't feel he could do that at Hogwarts. He also wanted Ginny to be just as prepared. "

Minerva, reeling from the news, fell back against her chair. She hadn't, in her wildest imaginings, expected this. She couldn't deny that Harry's assessment of Hogwarts was true. She'd been nearly giddy at seeing Harry for the first time at his private Sorting. She'd missed having a Potter at Hogwarts. The one that showed up, however, was far from what she'd anticipated. He'd been sullen, aloof, studious and it broke her heart to see the son of her two favorite students that way. He should have been a typical thirteen-year-old boy, but when the Sorting Hat declared him a Gryffindor, and he'd looked up at her with Lily's eyes, she'd seen something ancient in those green eyes that haunted her even now.

Then, little Ginny had managed to draw him out, and it had been like watching an old, dull, hard shell crack open to reveal the most amazing creature inside, ready to stretch its newborn wings. It had been a good sort of transformation, and it had been very good to see. Under Miss Weasley's tender care, Harry had become a new person, laughing, playing, enjoying life. Albus had been right when he'd said to her once that love had power. She hadn't believed it at the time, but she did now. How could she not after having witnessed it firsthand? And she was certain there was love between Harry and Ginny. Harry looked at Ginny the way James had looked at Lily and vice versa. Again, if she hadn't witnessed it herself, she would have scoffed at the notion of two children so young being capable of actually romantically loving each other.

Realizing she'd been quiet for several minutes, she turned her attention back to the woman seated across from her. "I can certainly understand his thinking. I've been rather put out with Albus over his lack of action and discipline concerning certain students. I can't attest to his motives as he doesn't share much of anything with me, but I think he hoped to get Harry to rely on him for information and help."

Molly snorted, looking much calmer than she had. "Yes, that certainly worked, didn't it?"

"I agree. He did not handle the situations well, nor will he handle well the fact that neither Harry nor Ginny will be back."

Molly's eyes grew round with fear. "You _cannot_ tell him about this. Promise me, Minerva. Knowing Albus, he'd try to track them down. Sirius didn't want to give him that much time. He figured Albus would have a much harder time leaving the school for extended periods if he didn't know until the Feast that the kids weren't returning."

"Oh, you have nothing to fear from me, Molly, I assure you. My lips are sealed until Albus says something first."

"Thank you."

Minerva smiled. "I'm glad to be a part of this little scheme. Albus has lost sight of things somewhat, or so it seems. I think this is just what he needed to force him to refocus on what's important. I'm looking forward to seeing Albus' expression. I must admit, I'm a little saddened that Harry won't be around, but I understand that he has to do what is right for him. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him at school, especially once Ginny broke through that tough exterior of his. You should be very proud of her."

Molly nodded, her smile tremulous, her eyes misty. "We are. I just … I can't help worrying. She's alone with a boy! Well, okay, not alone, but you know what I mean. She's thirteen, claims to be in love, and is sleeping in the same room as her boyfriend! How am I supposed to not worry?"

"Take comfort in the fact that you raised her right. That girl is strong, and is exactly what Harry needs. I'm a firm believer in things happening the way they're meant to be."

"Thank you, Minerva. I feel a bit better now, being able to talk about everything has helped."

Minerva nodded. "As it always does."

The two sat at the table and chatted a while longer before Minerva declared she had to return to Hogwarts and her lesson plans. Once she'd settled herself back at her desk, the smile that stole across her face could have put the Cheshire cat to shame. As she'd told Molly, she was especially looking forward to the start of the school term.

0000

It wasn't until they were in the car and on their way to the next city that it dawned on Ginny what it was she'd been missing all morning. Her gaze flitted, again, to Harry, who was leaning against his door, sound asleep, his complexion more pallid than the day before. For a little while that morning, he hadn't looked at her at all. At first, she'd been excited, thinking perhaps he'd risen sometime during the night and ended up ogling her a bit, just as she'd done to him. Sirius had announced he was taking them to a water park, hence one of the reasons he didn't have them work out extensively, and Harry's face filled with color, an almost panicked look in his eyes. He said nothing, however.

About a half hour after they'd arrived at the park, Harry had seemed to loosen up and took her hand on occasion, when they weren't going down the slides, at any rate. He'd laughed while they'd played, but something was missing. Then some blokes had begun chatting with her, just being friendly, and Harry had thrown them some fierce scowls, but he'd been ignored. When that hadn't scared them away, he started making some snarky comments worthy of Malfoy, and she had feared they'd come to blows. Once the blokes left her alone, Harry had stalked off toward one of the slides.

Sirius, then, had pulled Harry aside and the two exchanged some heated words, though she couldn't tell what was said. Looking back on it now, Ginny could see she hadn't helped the situation any. She hadn't been flirting with those blokes or anything, but she _had_ sort of enjoyed their attention. She'd been puzzled and hurt by Harry's behavior. She'd been angry with him at first, but quickly realized what must have been the underlying cause for him to act the way he had. The coming full moon had never had such an effect on him before. No, wait, there was one other time, when he'd tried that Suppression Potion and, therefore, couldn't take the Wolfsbane. He'd been rather possessive then.

Ginny shook her head. It didn't make sense. Harry was taking the Wolfsbane Potion now. Why was he acting as if he wasn't? She rubbed her forehead and sighed. She was going to have to give him a little latitude. After all, he couldn't help how the full moon affected him. The lack of warmth between them had been troubling. Perhaps, he'd felt it, too, for he'd ended up quietly apologizing to her on the way back to the hotel. She glanced at Harry once more. She hoped to never feel that coolness between them again.

A muted buzzing drew her out of her contemplation. Realizing it was Harry's mirror, she dug around in the bag at Harry's feet for it, activating it once she'd found it. Her mum's anxious face appeared on the mirror's surface.

"Mum? Is everything alright?"

"Oh, Ginny, I'm afraid I may have made a mess of things."

Ginny felt the car turn and, looking up, noticed that Sirius was pulling into a rest area along the highway. Neither the change in direction nor the slowing speed woke Harry. She returned to her mum.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"I'm so sorry. I just … I needed someone to talk to about everything and ..."

Sirius pulled into a parking spot, turned the key off, then took the mirror from Ginny. "Molly, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Sirius. Minerva came to visit this morning, asking why Ginny and Harry's names weren't on the school roster. I'm so sorry, but I told her. I told her the kids wouldn't be back. I didn't tell her where you'd gone, if that's any consolation, not that I know where you're going anyway. Also, she said she wouldn't tell Albus because she's upset at how he mishandled the situation at Hogwarts."

Sirius was silent for several seconds, looking off into the distance. Ginny hoped he wasn't angry with her mother. The whole idea of Ginny leaving hadn't been easy on her mum and, as strong as she was, Ginny knew she'd crack eventually. She sincerely hoped Sirius would realize that. As it turned out, she needn't have worried.

"It's okay, Molly. It's not easy keeping secrets and sharing your burdens is always preferable to holding them in. It's actually nice to know we have Minerva in our corner. Maybe she can distract Albus when we need her to. I'll contact her, though, and talk to her directly. Thanks for letting us know."

"Thanks for not being angry, Sirius. I know you wanted to keep this completely quiet. I wanted to call earlier but was afraid to. I grew so anxious over it, I just had to try."

"Really, Molly, it's fine. Here, I'm going to hand you back over to Ginny. I have a bit more driving to do."

The instant Ginny took the mirror back, her mum began apologizing again, nearly blubbering incoherently about betraying the three of them. "It's fine, Mum. You heard Sirius. Harry would say the exact same thing if he was awake."

"Harry's sleeping? Is he okay?"

Ginny glanced at Harry. Yes, he was still soundly asleep. _Was_ he okay? Not really. He'd been thoroughly knackered by the time they had left the hotel an hour ago. "Full moon's coming, Mum."

"Oh, yes, of course. The poor dear. He's, er, you know—"

"He's taking his potion, Mum. Of course he is." Ginny's tone normally would have an eye roll accompanying it, but she didn't want to press her mum too far. Her mum must have guessed, however.

"Of course he is. You're right. I shouldn't have bothered asking. I'm a mother, Ginny. It's my job to worry over my children."

"I know, Mum, but that's one thing you never have to worry about. Harry faithfully takes that potion because, to him, there's no alternative. He simply couldn't fathom _not_ taking it."

"I know, I know. I don't mean to doubt him. Please, give him a hug for me and tell him I'm sorry he's feeling so poorly."

"I will, Mum," Ginny said with a smile.

"Okay. I'll talk to you again at a later date. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mum. Bye." As soon as her mother's face was gone from the mirror, Ginny leaned forward as far as the seat belt would allow and softly said, "Thanks for not being angry with Mum."

"You don't have to thank me, Ginny. The whole thing was bound to take its toll. We're still a few days away from our final destination, so I'll contact Professor McGonagall and get her thoughts."

"How will you do that?"

Sirius scratched his head. "I haven't quite figured that out yet."

0000

"Harry?"

The soft voice accompanied a soft touch on his arm that instantly awoke him, sent tingles down his arms and at the nape of his neck as gooseflesh rose the hair in both places. Sitting up, Harry slid a finger under his glasses and rubbed at one eye, then the other.

"We're here."

Looking around, the first thing Harry noticed was that their tall, expensive-looking hotel sat overlooking a river and some high-rise buildings on the other side of said river. Two large ferries were docked on their side of the river, presumably waiting for passengers. Between the car park and the river, railroad tracks followed the riverbank. He yawned as Sirius found a spot in which to park.

"Where are we?"

"We're in Pittsburgh, Harry," Sirius answered. "It's about a two hour drive south from Eerie." He pointed out the window at the river. "Pittsburgh is situated on three rivers. This one is the Mo … Monon … Monongah … I forget how it's pronounced. We'll be staying here for tonight and tomorrow night, and flying out on Saturday."

Harry knew better by now to not even bother asking where they were flying to. Climbing out of the car, stretching out his muscles, he thought, again, about his behavior earlier in the day. He'd brooded a long time that morning over the incident with those blokes. Seeing his Ginny laughing with them had made him insanely jealous, and he knew he'd made Ginny mad. Being in the presence of Muggles had been the only thing that had saved him from being hexed, he was certain. The beast within forced words from his mouth that he never would have otherwise said. What shamed him more was the barely audible apology he'd offered her so much later.

So, while Sirius stepped up to the counter to get their room, Harry drew Ginny a short distance away. He gulped, stuffed his fists into his front pockets, and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry for how this morning went. I don't know why I reacted so strongly. No, I take that back. I do know. I was jealous. All I could think was that you were mine and no one else had a right to talk to you." His whipped his hands up in supplication as her face clouded and she started to speak. "I know you're not a possession, Ginny, and I know you can talk to whomever you wish. I didn't mean to be a git. It was like I'd suddenly been taken over, saying things that I knew weren't right. I couldn't stop myself."

He paused and Ginny jumped in with, "Are you done? Can I speak now?"

Harry nodded, nearly cringing at the indecipherable look in her eyes. Was she angry? She didn't look it, exactly. He supposed he just had to wait for her to say what she wanted.

"Good." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, Harry, I won't deny that I was angry with you. You barely looked at me from the moment you woke up. Then, you started holding my hand, and I thought things were at least a little okay until you said all that rude stuff and ignored me." She paused, her arms dropping so that she could wrap a hand lightly around each of his wrists, sliding them down to take his hands. "But then, I started thinking." Ginny briefly looked around them, but they were alone, Sirius still getting their key. "The last time you acted even remotely similar was the one time just before the full moon. You know which time I'm talking about?"

Harry nodded. It had been when he hadn't been able to take the Wolfsbane Potion because he was trying the Suppression Potion. He'd heard blokes had swarmed around Ginny when he'd had to keep his distance and had become just as jealous then as he had this morning.

"I believe that it's all tied in to your … issue … which makes it a lot easier to take. You're not acting that way voluntarily, therefore, I can overlook it. So, are we okay, now?"

Harry stared down at Ginny with eyes growing more lupine each day. She was right. His attitude _did_ have to do with his lycanthropy, but there was more to it than just being unable to control his temper. He wouldn't tell her that, though. No, there was no way he would tell her about his dream—his highly inappropriate dream—nor would he mention how badly he'd felt the need to stake some sort of claim on her. That certainly wouldn't be well-received. For now, the urge had passed, and with any luck, it wouldn't return, making everything a non-issue anyway.

"Yeah, we're okay, Ginny. I'm really sorry."

"I know, Harry."

Sirius joined them at that moment, dangling the room key in front of them. "Let's go. Our room has a nice view of the river and city."

The spacious room did, indeed, have a scenic view, even though they weren't on one of the upper floors. Once they'd re-sized their luggage, Sirius took them all down to one of the restaurants for dinner in the huge entertainment square adjacent to the hotel. Afterwards, the three wandered before coming across something called an Incline. People rode a rectangular, car up a steep slope on what greatly resembled a railroad track. There were actually two sets of tracks, one for the car going up, and one for the car coming back down. Both cars appeared to move at the same time. A specially designed and angled base kept the cars horizontal as they traveled up and down the slope. Despite the height of the mountain, Harry and Ginny wanted to see the supposedly spectacular view.

For the ride up, the two of them stood at the back of their car, allowing the others to look out the windows at the disappearing landscape beneath them. Sirius stood beside them, ready to calm them down if need be. Harry watched until they were above his comfort level before turning to face up the approaching mountaintop, though Ginny did try to peak through the window next to theirs on occasion. Her expression told Harry all he needed to know: they were fairly high up.

Slowly, but steadily, they climbed, finally entering a white building at the top. When he could, Harry stepped out of the car and into the station, holding tightly to Ginny's hand, and moved a few steps away.

"Let's take a look around, shall we?" Sirius led them out of the station, walked a short distance and stepped up to the chest-high steel railing, gazing upon the cityscape, river and bridge. Harry and Ginny hung back a few steps. "Wow. Now, _that's_ impressive."

Harry could tell by the tight grip she had on his hand that Ginny wasn't so sure about it, and honestly, he wasn't so sure he was entirely comfortable, either. "We don't have to go anywhere if you're not up to it."

Sirius looked at the two of them, concerned. "Are you alright? I know this is probably higher than either of you have ever been. It can be a bit disconcerting. We can stay here at this part of the look-out. We don't have to go over to the observation deck." Sirius pointed down to the rounded deck that jutted out off the side of the mountain.

"I'd like to," Ginny spoke nervously. "Just … just give me a minute to get used to it."

"It's not straight down from here," Sirius pointed out, standing next to the chest-high railing. "You can actually see a part of the mountain, if that helps any. We're back away from the edge is what I mean."

Harry wasn't sure if that really helped or not. He _was_ sure that he wouldn't be going to the other observation section. He didn't mind some heights. After all, he was a Seeker, meaning he had to follow a Snitch wherever it went. He'd just never been _this_ high before. On a broom, he had absolute control. He trusted his broom, knew its characteristics, its capabilities and its restrictions. Here, he had none of that knowledge. He had to put his trust in someone he didn't know as far as the construction of the railings and the deck. It may be illogical, but he couldn't help it.

"It's really kind of nice up here, actually," Ginny said, looking around them. "I couldn't imagine living up here, though." A few minutes later, she faced Sirius. "Okay, I think I'm ready. I don't want to miss the chance to see the city like this."

"Are you sure, Ginny?"

She nodded, keeping her gaze ahead of her. "It would be different if it was a full 360 degree view, I think, but since it's just the one side, it's different."

"You don't have to prove anything to me," Harry said softly. "I already know how brave you are."

That earned him a smile, but it faltered as she studied him more closely. "Are _you_ up to this?"

Now, wasn't _that_ a loaded question? He did feel tired again, even though he slept on the drive down from Eerie. The fatigue, as he knew so well, would only get worse as the week wore on. Harry wasn't sure if she meant that or if she was referencing his comfort with the height. They were now higher up than the Statue of Liberty was tall. None of it mattered, though, because Ginny had gathered her courage and declared herself ready to get closer to the city view. He couldn't—wouldn't—hold her back.

Forcing lightness into his voice, he replied, "Like you said, Ginny, it would be different if we were up here on top of this mountain with nothing but open space to focus on. Come on, let's go."

As they approached the railing, Harry kept a firm grip on Ginny's hand, completely ashamed of himself for needing that connection. Ginny didn't seem as bothered by how far up they were and he was fairly certain she hadn't been very high on a broom, not counting the two times she'd played his position for him, so why was _he_ the one having the problem? A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek; its twin running down his back made him shudder. Using his shoulder to wipe away the sweat, he berated himself for his weakness and forcefully told himself to look at what lay before him.

"Alright, Harry?" .

Harry nearly cursed. He hadn't realized Sirius had been watching him. "It really is amazing," he murmured, after discovering that being able to see the side of the mountain really did help.

"Yeah," Ginny breathed, her voice reverent. "The sky looks so much bigger from up here, probably because we can see so much of it. I feel like such a tiny, insignificant little speck."

"Insignificant is one word I would never associate with you," Harry declared.

Ginny turned to face him fully, her brows arching. "I notice you didn't dispute 'tiny'."

Harry shrugged, glad for the distraction. "Well, you're shorter than I am, and let's face it, I'm not all that tall."

Ginny's hands flew to her hips, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him. Then, to his utter surprise, she laughed, cupped his face and quickly kissed him. Harry barely suppressed a shudder, forcing it into a jolt of electricity that zipped through him, igniting every nerve-ending in its wake, and raising the hair on his arms and neck. Well, so much for being tired. The problem now was he really wanted to kiss her back, but he couldn't. Not the way he wanted to, at any rate.

"Would you like to walk around a little? See what's here?"

It took a monumental effort, but Harry managed to drag his gaze from Ginny, inhaling deeply in hopes of calming himself down. Instead, Ginny's flowery shampoo—or lotion, or whatever—sent his pulse into overdrive. Clearing his throat rather roughly, Harry stuffed a fist into his pocket while looking back towards the street.

"Er, maybe?" He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

The three strolled along the street finding restaurants and other local businesses, took turns posing for pictures next to the railing, Harry hiding his unease. By the time they were finished, it was time for the return trip down the mountain. Harry and Ginny took the back of the car. Ginny seemed slightly more interested in looking out a side window. Sirius made room for her. Harry leaned against the wall of the car, not facing the mountain, but not exactly staring out the window, either. He did force himself to take quick glances, but that was all he could handle until they reached a height he was much more comfortable with.

Back on solid ground, they returned to the hotel. At this point, the adrenaline rush or whatever he had felt up on the mountain, was gone, leaving Harry feeling drained. Laying on his bed, he almost instantly fell asleep.

0000—Friday, Aug 19

Harry moaned the instant he woke up. Three days. It was only three days into the week leading up to the full moon and he already hurt rather badly. Maybe it was due to all the activity lately. Wincing, he pushed himself upright, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes.

"He finally joins the land of the conscious!"

Harry let his hand drop and attempted to glare in the direction of Sirius' amused voice. He opened his mouth to tell Sirius off, but Ginny beat him to it.

"Sod off, Sirius! Unless, of course, you'd like to experience my specialty. Thanks to you insisting on me practicing during our work-outs, I can guarantee my hex will have more power behind it. Maybe you should experience it. Would serve you right, and then, perhaps, you'd have a bit more empathy."

Despite his pain, Harry grinned. He loved when Ginny defended him so fiercely. Warmth always filled him up at her words. The bed dipped beside him; his glasses were placed into his hand. His glasses in place on his nose, Harry leaned over and kissed Ginny's temple.

"Thanks for that, though I don't think he meant anything by it."

Both teens turned to see Sirius facing them on the sofa, his hands in the air before him as if he could hold off Ginny's hex. To his glee, Harry could see the fear in Sirius' gray eyes. Good. Sirius needed to fear something once in a while. It was good for him. Harry couldn't help but wonder if his mum had managed to strike that same fear in Sirius. If she was even remotely like Ginny, Harry figured she probably did.

Harry chuckled when he realized Ginny was letting Sirius squirm a bit. Merlin, he loved that girl! A minute later, she showed Sirius some mercy and let him off the hook. Harry was gratified to hear his godfather mumble about "intimidating redheads" while preparing Harry's dose of Wolfsbane Potion. Sirius brought over the smoking cup.

"I think we'll just do some stretches this morning, then move on to our plans for the day."

"And what would those plans be?" Harry asked before choking down the vile liquid.

"Something easy and light. First off, we'll be heading—"

"You're actually going to tell us?" Ginny interrupted, shocked.

Sirius shrugged. "I thought I'd do something a little different today. As I was saying, I have plans for us to go to a glass-making center where we'll get to make our own project. If, you're interested, of course."

Harry looked to Ginny and found her expression reflected how he felt: intrigued. Finishing off the last of the potion, Harry handed the cup back. "Could be interesting, I suppose. It's certainly different."

"And after that?"

Sirius grinned. "I thought a visit to the National Aviary was in order. They have all kinds of domestic and international birds, with an area where the birds fly freely. Then, maybe a stop at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to see some dinosaur exhibits. We could compare the dinosaurs to what we know of dragons. The two are almost certainly related. Tonight, for dinner, we'll go on a Gateway Clipper cruise. It'll take us along the river, giving us a bit of a tour of the city. We'll be dressing up for that."

Harry contemplated the activities Sirius had planned for them. Making something out of glass had the potential to be fun. He wasn't so sure about the Aviary, but Ginny was an animal-lover, so he wouldn't say anything against it. Besides, there could be some birds of prey there. The museum could be interesting. He'd heard a lot about dinosaurs growing up, during the times Uncle Remus tutored Muggle kids. While he didn't exactly want to dress up for dinner, he liked seeing Ginny in her formal dresses, so he'd suffer through it. He hoped he'd be able to do it all. His worry must have shown on his face for Sirius spoke up.

"If you start feeling fatigued, you let me know. We'll come back here so you can rest."

"Right." He grinned slightly. "I need to get a shower if we're going to get all of that in today."

Ginny grabbed his hand before he could even move. "Promise me, Harry," she demanded, studying him closely, "that you'll speak up today."

"Alright, I promise." He hated admitting any weakness, but he would to please Ginny. That, and the fact he wanted to avoid her more powerful Bat-Bogey Hex. The one time under her "normal" power had been quite enough, thank you very much.

0000

"That was fun!" Ginny looked around them as the three of them headed to their car, each of them carrying a colorful glass paperweight they had made. "There should be something like that in the Wizarding world. I bet Hermione could come up with some way to do it."

"Probably," Harry agreed with much less enthusiasm than Ginny had displayed.

Ginny carefully watched her boyfriend. He looked ready to drop. Spots of color on his cheeks from the hot furnaces, stood out starkly against his pale skin, giving him a feverish look. Holding onto his hand, she could feel the slight tremors shaking him, as if he'd expended nearly every bit of energy he had. He had yet to admit how tired he was, and she hoped he'd admit to it freely as he'd promised. He really didn't have the chance. Sirius spoke up once they'd reached their car.

"I don't know about either of you, but that was tiring. I think I need to lie down for a bit. I'm not as young as you two. Is that okay with you?"

Ginny nodded, throwing him a grateful glance behind Harry's back to which she was given a conspiratorial wink in response. Belatedly, Harry nodded his agreement with returning to the hotel. Ginny helped Harry into the car, keeping him from banging his head on the door. Really, she wasn't sure he'd have noticed if he had.

Sliding onto the seat from her side of the car, Ginny gently collected the glass sphere from Harry's slackened grasp, his deep, even breathing the only sound in the car at the moment. On the return trip, Ginny examined hers and Harry's paperweights. She'd made hers of clear glass with ribbons of a warm-tinted red and fiery orange swirling through it. Harry's was also clear, but his had crisscrossing, waving colors of a brilliant red-orange and a slightly yellowish green, larger at the base and tapering as it reached the top that gave the impression of colored smoke. It had turned out quite nicely. She wasn't certain, but she thought Sirius had also used clear glass and used black, red, and yellow for his colors. All three were just over two inches in diameter with a short, flattened edge for stability, and all three contained various amounts of small bubbles from trapped air.

Back at the hotel, Sirius helped Harry out of the car and up to their room, then helped him lie down. Placing the glass orbs on the bedside table, she asked permission to contact Hermione, which was given readily. Sirius performed the same privacy charm as before and left her to it. Looking into the mirror, she called her friend.

"Ginny!" Hermione's face appeared, a huge smile on her face. There was motion and then the sound of a door shutting, then motion again. "How are you?" Her happiness morphed to concern. "How's Harry? I know the full moon isn't far away now."

Ginny's eyes briefly darted to Harry before returning to the mirror. "He's resting. I think this morning was a bit much for him."

Hermione's brows knit. "What did you do?"

Thankful there was no condemnation in her friend's voice, Ginny replied, "We went to this glass studio and made paperweights. Each of us was allowed to make one. Here, I'll show you." Reaching out, she plucked the orbs from the table and held up hers to the mirror. "This one is mine."

Hermione let out a gasp. "That's brilliant, Ginny! The way the ribbons swirl together, they almost look like flames."

Ginny nodded, pleased her intent was clear. "That was the look I was going for. The glass studio based their colors on gemstones. The red and orange I chose take their colors from fire opals. They kind of represent our family, you know? I'm giving it to Dad for Christmas."

"It's perfect, Ginny. He'll love it."

"I hope so." She set hers aside and picked up Harry's. "This is the one Harry made."

Hermione grinned. "Why am I not surprised that he chose those colors? That red-orange really comes close to matching your hair."

Ginny blushed some but smiled. "He does seem to like my hair. His colors were based off of fire opals and a stone called demantoid which, according to the artists at the studio, is a rare type of garnet."

"It's beautiful, too. It looks like wisps of smoke in there!"

"I know! I don't know how he managed to do that!"

"So, tell me all about it! Was it difficult? What did you have to do? What else have you been doing?"

Ginny laughed at the rush of questions. "Calm down, Hermione, and I'll tell you. Okay, let's see …"

0000

Ginny kept a watchful eye on Harry the entire time they visited the Aviary. The rest had helped bring back some color to his complexion—not much but more than there had been earlier—and some spirit in his steps. His smile was fuller, his yellowing eyes appeared less fatigued. He even had a healthy appetite at lunch, though she had to admit she wasn't sure if that was the result of hunger or the fact that he had been asked how cooked he wanted his steak, something neither he nor Ginny had experienced before since neither of them had eaten steak before. Harry had been quite pleased to learn he could get it rare. She, herself, had asked for hers to be medium rare. Ginny quietly giggled as she recalled Sirius' expression of distaste before ordering his, telling the waitress his shouldn't moo when pierced.

Now, Harry seemed to be enjoying himself, marveling at the wingspans of the birds, grinning at the antics of some of the birds swooping and diving at all the visitors in the free-flight Tropical Rainforest exhibit. He often pointed out the more colorful parrots and macaws. Some of the birds had odd bills, which Harry pointed out as well. In her opinion, Harry was very childlike in his enthusiasm. Ginny had the distinct impression he and Moony had been unable to do much of anything fun. She knew there hadn't been a lot of extra money; she'd hoped, however, that they'd managed to have some fun at some point.

Harry's loud laughter brought her out of her reverie. She laughed, too, when she saw what had caused such a reaction. Sirius stood stiffly, abject disgust contorting his features as he gingerly swiped one hand through his black hair which had been peppered with bird droppings. Simultaneously, his other hand swiped as best he could at some droppings on his shoulder using his sleeve.

"How is it," Sirius grumbled, "that with all these birds flying around, _I'm_ the only one who gets pooped on?"

Still snickering, Harry replied with, "Because you're the tallest target?"

"Yeah," Ginny agreed, joining in, "or maybe they just don't like you."

"Stupid birds," Sirius muttered.

Another white glob landed on Sirius' other shoulder, and Ginny had to strain to keep Harry upright as he laughed. Of course, it was a real struggle because she was busy laughing, too. Sirius herded them out of the exhibit rather quickly, practically shoving them through the door, arms over his head in a vain attempt to protect himself.

Next to the Rainforest exhibit was a pair of bald eagles. They were much bigger than they appeared in pictures. It saddened her to read that both had been shot and had to have wing amputations, leaving them unable to fly. Who could be so cruel as to shoot such majestic birds? People could be so cruel, but then, she knew that from first-hand experience. It shouldn't surprise her that cruelty leaked over into the animal world.

A little farther down, Harry gasped and grabbed her hand in a painful grip. Following his gaze, she instantly understood and her heart went out to him. In the exhibit, two Snowy Owls sat upon a rock. One of them was identical to Hedwig. As Harry plastered a hand against the plexiglass, Ginny strained to read the sign off to the side. One of the owls was blind in one eye. It didn't specify which, but just a little observation showed it was the one that resembled Harry's owl.

A little sound of distress emanated from Harry. Apparently, he'd picked up on the owl's disability. Wrapping her arm around his waist, Ginny held him tightly, silently lending him strength. He hadn't said anything, so she hadn't realized just how much Harry missed his owl. Even though Hedwig hadn't been used for letters much, she'd still been a good friend to Harry. Ginny silently swore the first thing they did when they reached their new school would be to see Hedwig.

"We'll see her soon," Ginny whispered to him.

Harry nodded absently. "Seeing that owl made me realize how much I actually miss her. I wasn't prepared for how much it hurt."

"I know." Ginny gave Harry another minute or two. In an effort to cheer him up, she said, "There's supposed to be another free-flight enclosure around here somewhere. What do you say we see if Sirius gets pooped on again?"

A sad smile tilted one corner of her mouth upward. "We can try to get him in there. Not sure if he will, though."

"As Fred and George like to say, anything is possible if you have enough nerve. Come on, we'll figure out a way."

0000

By the time the three of them finished at the Aviary, Sirius had, indeed, been "anointed" again in the Wetlands free-flight exhibit, which earned him a pin badge proclaiming that feat. As it was closing in on dinnertime, the museum tour was postponed until the following day, so they returned to their hotel. Ginny claimed the loo first, pulling out her pale orange dress and toiletries bag. With a promise to be as quick as possible, she disappeared.

"How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess."

"Are you up for tonight? If not, say the word and we'll do something else."

"I'm feeling good enough, I think. I want to take the cruise."

"Alright, well, why don't you lie down while Ginny and I get ready? You can go last. Conserve your energy."

"Probably a good idea."

Harry lay back on his bed, tucked his hands behind his head and relaxed, his eyes closed. Though he didn't sleep, he still felt refreshed by the time it was his turn to clean up. He nearly gulped at his first look at Ginny. The pale orange of the dress really made her hair look even more like silky fire, especially since it glistened in the light. This time, she wore her hair mostly loose with only the sides twisted and pulled together, then pinned, somehow, low on her head. Several months ago, he'd given her a black cord necklace with a heart-shaped lapis lazuli stone. She'd never taken it off, usually tucking the stone under her shirt. Now, it was proudly displayed. It and her silver ring were all the jewelry she wore.

"While I agree that your girlfriend is a very pretty young lady, Harry, you need to get going or we'll be late. Thank Merlin, we don't have far to go."

Blushing furiously, Harry gathered what he needed and went to take his own shower. Fifteen minutes later, he exited the loo wearing a dark blue—though not navy—waistcoat and trousers with a belt, the same white oxford shirt he'd worn to the theater, and an orange tie that Sirius had insisted he buy, saying he may want to match Ginny's dress one day. Harry had been skeptical about the color, it being more orange than the dress, but once he stepped out and could compare the two properly, he could tell the tones were the same, if not the tints, so they worked. He quickly donned socks and shoes, then joined Ginny.

"You look really nice, Harry." Ginny fingered his tie. "Nice touch."

"You can thank Sirius for that. I wasn't so sure I liked the color, but I guess it really does go with your dress. You look really pretty." Harry thumbed the stone heart. "I like that you're letting it show."

"It would have shown anyway, but I thought it would be nice to have it be seen."

"And thus the Mutual Admiration Society has come to a close," Sirius butted in. "Let's go, kiddos, or we won't be making that cruise."

Grinning, Harry offered Ginny his arm, which she took, wrapping a hand around his elbow. Stopping in front of Sirius, Harry quipped, "You're getting grouchy in your old age. I think you could do with a girl, yourself, make you more mellow."

Sirius ran his hands down his traditional black suit jacket and black tie, then studied the rest of his attire of black trousers, matching shoes and white oxford shirt. "I think I'm just fine the way I am. Now, let's _go._ "

"Alright, alright. Hold your hippogriffs. It's right across the street. I think we'll get there in time."

Sirius didn't bother responding. Instead, he pulled the teens out of their room, making sure he had the key and that the door locked, then rushed them along to the dock.

0000

"And you worried we wouldn't make it, Sirius," Harry teased, watching approximately twenty people boarding.

"Yes, well, if we'd been any further away, we may not have."

Once everyone had boarded, the boat left the dock. Not long after that, they were called in to dinner. Harry worried slightly over the food. Would he like it? If not, would he be able to eat it anyway? He didn't want to insult anyone. He needn't have worried. The food had been excellent. Though Sirius engaged some of the others in conversation, answering questions about their accents and giving the same story as they had done before, Harry didn't speak much. He preferred to listen to all the stories being told, thinking about the lives those stories represented. It was his job to protect those lives. Seeing those Snowy Owls earlier had reminded him of why he, Ginny, and Sirius were here in this country. They weren't just tourists. He really should be spending more time reading those Defense books and preparing himself for when he could practice what he learned.

A nudge from his right drew his attention. Ginny was watching him closely, looking concerned. "Are you okay, Harry?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She narrowed her gaze at him, clearly not sure if she should believe him. "Honestly. I was just thinking that I should be doing more studying than I have been. I need to be ready."

"You will be, Harry. As Dumbledore likes to say—and like him or not, he can be very wise—'It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.' In this case, it does not do to dwell on what's ahead of us and forget to live. Also, 'Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.' The dark times are coming, Harry. Let this, and all of our traveling, be our 'light.' We have to have a 'light,' Harry. Otherwise, what's the point?"

Harry cocked his head to the side, contemplating her words. She was right. These kinds of things were exactly why they would be fighting. People needed happiness in their lives, something he learned first-hand. Without happiness, there really wasn't much point to life. He had momentarily forgotten that. Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek.

"Thanks for reminding me."

"That's what I'm here for," Ginny quipped with a cheeky grin.

A nudge from Harry's left had him turning in that direction. Grinning, Sirius suggested, "Why don't you take Ginny out on the floor?"

Harry looked in the direction Sirius pointed and his happiness morphed to dread. Music began to play, and people were dancing. Dance? Him? He didn't know how to dance!

"Oh, come on, Harry. Please? Just once?"

Well, when she asked like that, how could he say no? Taking a huge breath in order to prepare himself for the humiliation that was sure to follow, Harry took her hand.

"Let's go. I have no idea how to dance, remember?"

"As I recall, you did alright."

Harry tried to maneuver them to a spot on the edge of the floor on the opposite side so that Sirius couldn't see them, but Ginny was having none of it. She took them right into the heart of the crowd.

"Just loosen up and move to the beat."

She took both of his hands and began to sway, bending a knee a little, depending on which side she leaned. Harry began mirroring her movements, though he felt awkward and embarrassed. He started to look around them to see if anyone took any notice of them, but Ginny reached up and forced his gaze back to her.

"Don't look around. Just keep watching me."

"But I'm holding you back, Ginny. I know how much you like to dance."

"Just shut it and dance, Harry."

Before long, Harry had relaxed enough for Ginny to teach him how to spin her in place, which to his surprise, was really rather simple. He found himself enjoying the time with Ginny, getting to touch her arms, waist, hands, shoulders, but he especially liked the slower songs that required closer contact. The only problem with the slower songs was that he had to work hard not to yawn. He was tiring rather quickly, but he didn't want to stop, so he pushed on.

After three fast tempo songs, a ballad began to play. Immediately, Harry took Ginny into his arms, resting his cheek against her temple. By some miracle, he managed to suppress one yawn and hide another. The third one, however, he failed miserably at hiding. Ginny practically jumped out of his arms.

"Harry, you must be exhausted! I'm so sorry! I was having so much fun, I didn't even think!"

"It's okay, Ginny. I was having fun, too."

"No, it's not okay. Look at you. You're all pale again. You look as if a light breeze would knock you off your feet. Come on. Let's go sit down."

"Finish the song, first?"

Ginny adamantly shook her head. "No. You need to sit down and relax."

Sirius met them halfway to the table. "Let's go up to the top deck. There's some benches up there and you can get a better view. The city will be lit up soon. I've heard it's a pretty sight."

"I don't know if Harry will make it," Ginny stated, looking worried.

"Lead the way, Sirius." Ginny frowned at him. Harry shrugged. "It'll be quieter up there."

Ginny conceded the point and allowed them to be led up the narrow steps to the top deck. Harry was glad she didn't argue; he feared he might have overdone the activity. Dizzy with rapidly waning energy, yawns came more frequently and, though he tried to hide them, he knew Ginny hadn't been fooled one bit when she reached behind her and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.

A long minute later, they reached the top deck. Yes, the view was nice, but Harry just didn't have it in him to fully appreciate it. Ginny tried to get him to lie down on one of the benches, but he refused, so they both sat while he leaned against her, vaguely aware Sirius moved away from them, possibly to give them a bit of privacy.

"I'm sor—" Harry started to apologize, but ended up having to stifle another yawn instead. "Sorry, Ginny."

"Whatever for, Harry? For being tired? You can't help that. Part of it's my fault, anyway. I should be apologizing to _you_."

"No, you shouldn't. I was having too much fun to quit."

"Here, use my shoulder for your pillow. I'll wake you up when we're back at the dock."

Harry didn't have the energy to protest. He hated that he couldn't even fully enjoy a night out with his girlfriend. As his eyes drifted shut, he was certain he felt her hand softly brushing through his hair. Love and safety carried him off to dreamland.

0000

Sirius watched his charges from a short distance. He felt bad for pushing Harry so much today. He should have known the kid wouldn't have as much energy as he normally did. There was just so much he wanted to do with Harry, so much he wanted Ginny to experience, that he supposed he became carried away with it all. It looked as if the two were in deep discussion. Going by the expression on Ginny's face, it appeared Harry was attempting to apologize for something. The kid had better just shut his mouth or he'll be in for it, full moon or no. Sirius wondered if it had anything to do with the incident at the water park yesterday morning. In fact, Harry had acted oddly from the moment he woke up yesterday, seemingly tense whenever Ginny was near. Today had seemed to be better.

Ah, there! Problem solved! Sirius smiled fondly. Ginny "mothered" Harry in the same way Lily did for James when he was feeling ill. Sometimes Sirius had to remind himself that it wasn't Lily and James that he saw before him. Harry and Ginny could easily pass as a younger version of the Potters, physically speaking. Personality-wise, the two couples were similar, but Harry and Ginny were also different. They had to deal with issues James and Lily didn't have to worry about. Sirius shook his head, the fond smile still in place as he watched Ginny run her fingers lightly through Harry's hair, relaxing him enough to sleep. From talking with Remus, Harry had desperately needed the exact contact with another person he was currently receiving from Ginny. Sirius was glad whatever differences they'd had had been put aside.

His small smile melted away. Though he'd never let on, Sirius worried about the coming full moon. They'll be in a state they know nothing about. Sirius wasn't even sure what the American Ministry's laws were in regards to werewolves. He also grew more anxious about the approaching war and the two teens' role in it. Sirius would do his best to prepare them, but there was only so much preparation one could do. A lucky shot, a ricocheted spell, would be all that was needed to take one of them out. Take one out, and the other would likely go, too. That was his ultimate fear. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he lost either of them, knowing it fell to him to train them.

A soft thump caught his attention and he realized they were back at the dock. He sighed. Time to wake the kid up long enough to get him back to the hotel.

 **A/N:** I had one reviewer complain that they were gallivanting all over the place and doing way too much sight-seeing when a war was going on. I thought I'd respond to that. Voldemort hasn't returned so the war hasn't even begun yet. Plus, they will be living in the U.S. for the better part of a year, so why shouldn't they see a bit of it? As Sirius explained, their bouncing around will make it harder for them to be tracked. Lastly, the kids will be working hard as they trained so they deserve some fun first. The next couple of chapters will be them traveling. Chapter 9 they will arrive at school, so you're welcome to wait until then to start reading again, but you might miss a little detail here or there. Your choice. I hope that smooths any ruffled feathers.


	7. Things Left Unsaid

_**Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.**_

 ** _-Fyodor Dostoyevsky_ —Saturday, Aug 20**

Allowing Harry the time he needed to take in order for him to get ready for the day, Sirius brought out a map of Pennsylvania, and Ginny grew excited, knowing she was about to get a visual representation of where they were and where they had been. She helped Sirius unfold the map onto the desktop. She waited for him to locate the two cities they'd been to in this state so far.

"Okay, Ginny, up here," Sirius touched the area with one finger, "at this diagonal area, is Erie, just inside the border." Sirius slid his finger up off the map a short distance. "Buffalo would be right in this area."

Ginny leaned over the map. "Oh! I see Erie!"

"Good. Now," Sirius slid his finger south to Pittsburgh. "Here we are currently."

"It only took a couple of hours to go that far?" Ginny asked. She couldn't believe they'd traveled that quickly.

"The distance is only about 115 miles. I know it looks greater on the map, but Pennsylvania isn't really a big state." Sirius took out a biro. "Here, circle Erie and Pittsburgh."

Like she'd done for Buffalo, Ginny circled Erie, this time making it resemble an apple with the little line sticking up, rather than the Quidditch hoop she'd drawn around Buffalo, to show the two cities were connected. Then, she circled Pittsburgh, drawing a line between it and Erie. It had been Sirius' idea to keep track of the cities they visited, and Ginny loved it. She couldn't wait to get to the new school so all the maps could be attached together, showing their entire journey. Sirius said he'd make a duplicate for Harry to have a memento as well.

Ginny's exuberance faded as she thought of Harry, her heart hurting for him. He was suffering so much, though he'd tried really hard not to show it. Just getting out of bed had been more difficult for him, judging by the way he'd clenched his teeth when he'd stood. Less color showed in his complexion than yesterday, except for the redness beneath his eyes. All one had to do was look at him to know he wasn't well. What was worse was the fact that he had another four days until the full moon! She almost wished it was tonight, just so that Harry didn't have to suffer anymore.

Harry exited the loo, shuffled to his bed and sat, wincing as he bent to put on his shoes. Ginny's gaze darted to Sirius. She'd heard him mumble in his sleep last night, something about pushing Harry too hard. She reckoned he felt guilty, thinking they were trying to do too much this close to Harry's transformation and it was wearing Harry down. There could be some truth to that. Oh, not that she blamed Sirius for anything. There really wasn't any blame to be had except for the one who had turned Harry and _he_ was dead now. Maybe she could convince Sirius to confide in her his plans for the next few days, help him decide what would be too much.

Ginny waited anxiously as Harry stiffly took the five or six steps necessary to join her and Sirius at the desk, ready to lend him some support if he felt he needed it. He studied the map before them.

"So, we were up here," he tapped the circled around Erie, "and now we're down here." His finger slid southward. His brows jumped up his forehead. "Wow, we nearly traveled the entire vertical length of the state. Just a little farther south and we would have." He faced Sirius. "So, are we ready to go?"

"Are you sure _you_ are, Harry? We can cancel the museum trip and stay close to the hotel until our flight."

"I'd like to go," Harry insisted.

To Ginny, Sirius almost looked as if he wanted to argue, so she jumped in to head that off. "You heard him, Sirius."

Her reward for her support was a wan smile from Harry. Taking hold of his wrist, Ginny draped his arm across her shoulders while sliding her own arm around his waist. She figured, this way, he could lean on her without actually _looking_ like he was leaning on her. The two of them remained still, waiting to see what Sirius would do.

Harry's godfather sighed, brandished his wand, and made all of their belongings pack themselves. Once everything was in their proper places, Sirius shrank their clothing bags, then pocketed them. He then shouldered their carry-on bags.

"If you think you're up to it, then let's go."

After a hearty breakfast, Sirius returned their key, then the three of them headed out to the museum. No one spoke during the ride there. Ginny had the impression Sirius was too busy doubting himself to talk, and Harry was simply too worn out to speak, even though he'd just awakened recently. She studied her boyfriend from the corner of her eye. He sat deep in his seat, his head against the window. He wasn't asleep, but it was obvious his mind wasn't focused on the present. Truth be told, Ginny wasn't sure he was focused on _anything_. It was these unguarded moments where Harry allowed himself to drop the facade he presented to the world during the week before and after the full moon that really had her heart aching for him.

Reaching out, Ginny gently took Harry's hand, barely closing her own around his for fear of causing him more pain than he was already in. His fingers tightened somewhat on hers, and he looked over at her with tired eyes and a small smile before letting his head drop back to the glass to stare, unseeing, out the window. Mentally, Ginny nodded to herself. She would definitely talk with Sirius to see if they could forego a bit of traveling, or at the very least forego some activities. Harry didn't need to be so run-down that he fell ill.

As Sirius pulled into the car park of the museum, Harry perked up some. Because she was watching, Ginny witnessed him drawing on some energy reserve deep down inside himself. At least, that's what she assumed he was doing when he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. She averted her eyes when his reopened, wanting to give him his moment of privacy. She wished he'd just admit he was tired and actually ask not to do anything for a day or two, but Ginny knew the first part of her wish was unlikely while the latter part was … well, wishful thinking. Harry was much too stubborn for that, sometimes to his detriment, which was why she would do whatever was necessary to help him through, her help wanted or not.

Climbing out of the car, Ginny walked around the boot and stood next to Harry's door, ready to give him a hand if he needed it. He didn't, but she could see it cost him a little by the way his jaw clenched, his quick inhale, and the flash of pain that pinched his features. Taking Harry's hand in hers, she lightly caressed his arm with her free hand before settling it at his elbow. Again, he gave her a smile, this one a bit brighter than before. Gently, Ginny dropped her head to Harry's shoulder until Sirius declared them ready to go inside.

0000

While Harry, Ginny, and Sirius enjoyed the museum, Albus sat in his office at Hogwarts, elbows on his desk, hands together and lightly resting against his mouth. Now that the new term was rapidly approaching, Albus Dumbledore thought it prudent to visit Harry, to reassure the boy that he would be secure within Hogwarts' hallowed walls. Harry needed to be taught by the Wizarding world's best professors and those would be found here at school—with the exception of one or two. Regardless, it was imperative Harry learned all he could so he would be able, when the time came, to fulfill his destiny and survive. Harry _had_ to be the one to survive the encounter. Albus shuddered slightly. The alternative was too horrifying to contemplate.

Perhaps he could prevail upon Sirius to take the Defense Against the Dark Arts position again. He had done well enough after Remus had been killed. Yes, perhaps that would be the best way to go. Despite his very vocal desire to _not_ attend Hogwarts, Harry had come because Remus had accepted the teaching position. Surely, the outcome would be the same this time around. Now he just needed to know where Harry and Sirius were currently residing. For that, a trip down to Minerva's office would be warranted, something he wasn't exactly looking forward to as he had the impression she was upset with him over the happenings of the past year. No matter. Neither meeting could be put off any longer.

Several minutes later, Albus knocked on Minerva's open office door. "May I interrupt for a moment, Minerva?"

"Albus," Minerva said by way of greeting. She indicated the chair opposite her. "Come in."

Albus took the offered chair and sighed. "I know you are most displeased with me, but those differences need to be put aside so we may project a united front for the new year."

"Vexed, disturbed, infuriated, irritated," Minerva nearly spat each word. "Any of those would be much better words to use." She finally looked up at him, leaning back in her chair imperiously, and Albus suddenly felt like one of her students having been caught misbehaving. "Albus, what happened here last year, and your lack of action, is just as disheartening as it is perplexing. Why did you do nothing to stop things before they went too far?"

"What was I to do, Minerva? The identity of the attacker was unknown. Wands were checked. Nothing came of our search."

"Any number of things could have been done! You could have requested an Auror presence to roam the corridors. You could have locked down the school, enforcing a strict curfew as you did two years ago! You were given the Malfoy boy's name as a possible culprit. Did you go any further in your investigation than his wand? Or did you hand it off to Severus like you've done so many times before?"

"Minerva, I do not believe Severus belongs in this discussion."

"Of course he does!" Albus nearly winced at her outraged shout. "If he actually disciplined his students, then perhaps we wouldn't be having this discussion at all! No, I take that back. We would still be having this chat because you would have slapped the boy on his wrist and sent him on his merry way just like always." Albus opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "And don't give me that rubbish about second chances. That boy has had more than his fair share. By doing nothing, Albus, you showed the students their safety was not important. I shudder to think what would have happened had Draco actually taken some Felix Felicis before one of his attacks on Harry. Merlin knows, that would have been the end of the school. Not to mention what it would have done to Harry if he'd turned Ginny or anyone else. And then, after Pansy and her group attacked Harry and Ginny, you _still_ refused to call in the Aurors. _I_ had to do it! I won't work in a school where the Headmaster has such disregard for his students."

Albus' eyes grew wide behind his half-moon glasses. Panic sent his heart rate skyrocketing. "Minerva, are you telling me you no longer wish to teach?" How would he find two quality professors in such short notice?

"I'm not saying that, Albus, but I'm going to take a more active role in the running of this school as is afforded me by my title. You also need to stop keeping so many secrets. As you said when you first sat down, we need to present a united front. That is impossible when I am unaware of things and how they are being handled. I'm asking you, Albus, for regular meetings to discuss any issues that come up."

Albus Dumbledore bowed his head in resignation. Really, he should have seen this coming. He had been fortunate that Minerva was content for so many years to leave the majority of the school business to him. If he wanted to keep his Transfiguration professor, Deputy Headmistress, and friend at Hogwarts, he would need to change his ways. He was always fond of saying one must do what is right, rather than what is easy. Here was his chance to follow his own advice.

"You are absolutely correct, Minerva. I see now that my methods will no longer work. I look forward to a more direct working relationship with you. I humbly apologize for putting you in an impossible situation at the end of last term. Shall we move forward from here?"

Minerva's eyes narrowed as she weighed his words, no doubt gauging his sincerity. Albus sat calmly, hands in his lap, and met her gaze unflinchingly. He genuinely hoped she took him at his word.

"Very well, Albus. I believe you mean what you've said. I thank you for being willing to listen to what I had to say, and for your apology. Consider it accepted."

"Thank you, Minerva." Albus hesitated asking his next question, but he needed the information so he forged on. "Minerva, as you know, we are in need of another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I had the thought to offer the position to Sirius once again. Unfortunately, I do not know their current address. You sent out the letters for the new year. Do you remember it?"

Curiously, Minerva paled, her brow twitching slightly before her expression cleared. "I'm afraid I don't recall it."

She wasn't being entirely truthful, but as tenuous as things were between them, Albus decided not to push her further, despite her demand not to have any secrets between them. He rose to his feet. "I thank you for your time, Minerva."

Albus exited her office, walked a few steps down the corridor, then stopped. He glanced back at Minerva's door. What was she hiding? Obviously, it had something to do with Harry. What could she know that he didn't? Deciding he would simply have to wait it out, Dumbledore continued on his walk. As he reached the Great Hall, another thought occurred to him. There was another way he could learn of Harry's address.

0000

"Albus? What brings you here?"

Albus noted Molly's too-bright smile and wondered why she didn't seem all that pleased to find him at her doorstep. "Hello, Molly. Forgive me for intruding. I wondered if I might have a word with you."

"Certainly. Please come in." Molly motioned for him to take a sofa. "Have a seat. I'll make some tea."

Rather than taking the sofa, Albus followed the Weasley matriarch into the kitchen. He had always enjoyed the feeling of family that the kitchen exuded. "Actually, Molly, would you mind terribly if we sat in here?"

Molly paused and looked his way momentarily. "Of course not, Albus." She went back to preparing the tea.

Albus waited quietly until the tea was ready. He took a sip and smiled. "There is nothing that compares to a nice cup of tea. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Albus. Now, I gather this isn't a social call. Is there something I can do for you?"

"You are correct. I have something to ask of you. Once again, I find myself in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I would like to extend the offer to Sirius as he so capably handled the class last term. However, I find I do not know of their current address. I thought perhaps young Ginevra would know it. May I speak to her?"

Molly fiddled with her teacup before answering. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Albus. She's not here at the moment. She's gone on holiday. There was something Bill wanted to show her, something to do with the pyramids, a new tomb or something. I can't say exactly how long she'll be gone, but rest assured, she'll be at school on time."

Albus' brows rose in surprise. "Only Ginevra? Why not the boys?"

"Oh, er, well, it was an opportunity for the oldest and youngest to get together. Arthur and I thought it a nice idea."

It wasn't adding up for Albus. It was rather late in the summer holiday to be leaving, and why only Ginevra? No, something wasn't quite right here. Why did everyone appear to be keeping secrets suddenly? Why did they feel the need to keep things from _him_? Albus didn't miss the irony of the situation he now found himself in. He was beginning to understand just how everyone else felt when he refused to answer questions.

Preferring to keep the peace, Albus tried another tactic. "Perhaps I may speak with Ronald, then. He and Harry have become friends. Surely, Harry would have said something to him."

"Sure," Molly quickly agreed, though to Albus she seemed a little nervous. "Let me call him in. He's out in the back garden with Hermione."

Once again, Albus' brows rose. This day was full of surprises it seemed. Perhaps he could speak to the two of them together. Unless he was mistaken, and that didn't happen often, Hermione was a closer friend to Harry. Certainly, she would know where Harry was currently residing. Albus waited patiently while Molly stepped out the back door and yelled for her son. Just as he had hoped, both teens appeared a few minutes later.

"Professor? What are you doing here? I mean, you don't normally visit students during the summer holiday."

Was it his imagination or did Hermione seem just as nervous as Molly? Turning his attention to her companion, Albus could easily see Ronald's discomfort in his paler than normal complexion and in the way the boy tapped his hands against his thighs. Albus briefly entertained the thought of using Legilimency to discover what the two were hiding. However, the fear of possible discovery kept him from it.

"Please, sit down and join me. Tell me how you have been spending your holiday." Hermione rattled on about traveling with her parents and some of the sights she had seen. Ron, then, shrugged and in a wavering voice said he had been playing Quidditch and swimming. Albus smiled, attempting to put them at ease. "Very good. Prepared for the next school year?"

"Of course, Professor," Hermione replied in that way of hers that made him feel as if he had asked a silly question. "I'm greatly looking forward to it."

Ron shrugged. "I reckon so. I don't have much choice, do I?"

Bemused at the look of annoyance Hermione threw in Ron's direction, Albus sought to deflect Hermione's attention. "No, Ronald, I am afraid there is not. I do hope that this year will change your mind about school, however. Now, there is something I must ask of the two of you. I am hoping to ask Sirius to return as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I confess, however, that I do not know his address. Would either of you, perchance, know it so I may ask in person?"

The two teens exchanged meaningful glances, Hermione's brow furrowing while Ron's ears reddened. Albus wanted to sigh. Obviously, they knew whatever it was that was being kept from him. He knew Hermione to be very loyal. Ron, too, though he did have issues at times. Therefore, it didn't surprise him in the least when the both of them shook their heads.

"No," Hermione answered for them. "I'm sorry, Professor, but we don't. Harry said it was a secret so he wouldn't tell us, something about security. Honestly, I couldn't blame him considering what happened last year."

"Nor do I," Albus replied with a sad smile. "Thank you both. I suppose I will have to find another way."

Hermione must have realized they had been dismissed for she jumped up and quickly dragged Ron away with her. Albus watched them leave, proud of them for their loyalty to whomever had asked them to keep silent, but also frustrated for not getting the answers that he knew were just beyond his reach. He had never realized just how upsetting it was to be kept in the dark about something.

Standing, he thanked Molly for her hospitality and for allowing him to speak to the children. As he wandered down the lane that ran in front of the Burrow, Albus was at a loss. How in Merlin's name could he find Harry now? He looked up at the mid-afternoon sky. The only other friend Harry was even remotely close to was Neville Longbottom. Perhaps, he should visit the boy and see if what Hermione had said regarding Harry keeping his house a secret was indeed true. Reaching the edge of the protective wards, Albus disappeared on the spot.

0000

"Sirius, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ginny leaned over the seat in front of her to ask her question.

Before Sirius could answer, a flight attendant stopped and asked if they wanted anything to drink. She took one look at Harry, who was sound asleep against the window in the seat next to Ginny and behind Sirius, and her brow furrowed in obvious concern.

"Is he alright, Sir? He looks ill. I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry."

Ginny wondered how Sirius would handle that, for Harry did look quite ill. Harry's eyes still retained their shadowed appearance, his complexion still as pale as it was earlier.

"He _is_ ill, but it isn't anything to worry about; it's not contagious." Sirius lowered his voice. "He has good days and bad days. Today just isn't one of the good ones."

Ginny watched as the woman's widened eyes flew to Harry, her brows jumping in surprise. "Oh." Then, a pitying expression clouded her features. "I'm so sorry to hear that. The poor boy. You're all so brave. If there's anything I can do to make things easier for any of you, just let me know."

Sirius thanked her, asked Ginny if she wanted anything, then smiled at the attendant, stating that they were fine. After she'd moved a few rows down, he turned back to Ginny. "What did you want to ask me?"

Ginny bit her lip, glanced back at Harry, then forged on. "I think we should spend the next few days staying at our hotel. Harry's tired enough as it is."

Sirius heaved a sigh, running a hand down his face. "I know, Ginny, but do you really think Harry will want to stay in our room the entire time?"

"Probably not, but ..." Ginny let out a breath in a huff. "Well, maybe we could do something that wasn't strenuous or something. Care to share what your activity plans are for Philadelphia and beyond until the full moon?"

"I guess it can't hurt. There's a lot of this country's history in Philadelphia. I thought we could see a bit more of that. There's a place where their Declaration of Independence was signed and then there's the Liberty Bell, a huge bell that rang when the first reading of the Declaration was read out loud to the people. It has a rather large crack in it."

"How is it that you know all this stuff?"

"I was over here years ago for quite some time, remember? Also, I did a lot of research."

"Okay, but I know that's not all you have planned. What else is there?"

"You're right, that's not all. There's a village about an hour outside of Philadelphia called Peddler's Village that I thought we might go see. There's supposed to be some unique shops there."

"That sounds interesting and it doesn't sound very taxing either." Ginny glanced back at her still-sleeping boyfriend, sympathy flooding her. She said softly, "This traveling has been so hard on him the last few days. He doesn't need to get sick on top of everything else."

"I agree, Ginny. The traveling will have to continue, but we can certainly adjust our activities until he's back to feeling himself again."

Ginny smiled and gave Sirius a hug as best she could over the seat. "Thanks, Sirius."

"Hey, no worries, Ginny. With the two of us looking out for him, he'll be fine."

Ginny sat back in her seat, again watching her boyfriend. She couldn't help but worry about him. All of their traveling was taking a bit of a toll on her, too, so it _had_ to be taking a lot more out of Harry. He certainly looked it. Reaching out, she gently brushed the hair at his temple, eliciting a sigh from him as he slept.

"Sleep well, Harry," she whispered before pulling out one of her novels and settled in to read.

0000

When he awakened, Harry found they'd already landed and were taxiing up to the gate. While not entirely refreshed, he did feel a little better. He always did after a nap. Too bad it never lasted long. Harry straightened his glasses, rubbing his brow where the rim of one lens had dug into his skin.

"Feeling a little better, Harry?" Ginny softly asked from his right.

Harry nodded, stifling a small yawn in the process. "Some, yeah." He glanced over at her before returning his gaze to seat in front of him, the tips of his ears burning.

"That's good." Ginny clutched his chin and forced him to look at her. "What's wrong, Harry?"

"Sorry for falling asleep so quickly. I didn't mean to leave you alone the entire flight."

"It's fine, Harry. You obviously need the rest. Besides, it gave me a chance to catch up on my reading. Honestly, I think the constant go is wearing on us all. I understand why it has to be this way. I don't want anyone to be able to trace our steps, either, but if someone does, there's a greater chance he'll lose our trail in one of these stops."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Ginny," Sirius said, standing. "You okay, kiddo? Able to hang in there for a little while longer? Just long enough to get to the hotel at least?"

Harry ran his hands over his face and inhaled. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good. Let's go and find the car that I've already reserved. I was told it would be waiting for us."

The three left the main airport building, grimacing at the heat and humidity that slammed into them as if they'd just stepped into a giant glass-melting furnace. Beads of sweat instantly dotted Harry's brow and temples. He was thankful they didn't have far to look to find a tall man about Sirius' age holding a sign that had Sirius' pseudonym on it.

As Sirius took care of the details, namely showing identification to the man and getting the keys, Harry admired the silver car, a grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. He'd heard of BMWs, having been out among Muggles a lot, and the 325i seemed rather popular. He had to admit to being a bit wary of its compact size. Surely, Sirius wouldn't get them a car that was completely cramped inside, would he? Harry shrugged to himself. He supposed the interior could be expanded if need be.

"Well, I've got two tired teenagers on my hands so I should get them to the hotel. Thanks again for your help and your warm welcome."

At Sirius' motion to the car, Harry opened the back door closest to him and climbed in. He found himself impressed. The interior was roomier than it looked.

"I thought you were going to have to put an Extension Charm on the interior," Harry commented to Sirius once they began driving north away from the airport.

"When I first saw it in person, I thought so, too. I thought I'd really messed up this time. Luckily, it's bigger on the inside than it looks. Our hotel isn't as close to the airport as the others have been but it's still not a long drive."

Sirius ended up missing their turn twice and they had to double back. However, they did arrive at the hotel in a reasonable amount of time. It was much taller and generally larger than any they'd stayed in previously. It seemed to Harry as if they were in the heart of the city, or at least a more centrally located area.

Sirius found a place to park, enlarged their suitcases, and the three of them entered the hotel. Just inside the automatic doors was a huge atrium with highly polished marble floors. Across from them was a row of lifts. To their left was the long reception desk, which Sirius walked over to. To their right looked to be commons area with chairs, tables and a fireplace. Harry seriously doubted the fireplace was actually used. To him, none of the chairs or sofas looked all that comfortable.

"Okay, I have the key." Sirius tapped a button to call a lift. Once they piled into the lift, he punched a number four and the doors closed.

"Sirius, this place looks expensive. You shouldn't be spending this kind of money."

"It's nothing to worry about, Ginny. I've got plenty. I can't think of a better way of spending it."

"Still ..."

Harry loosely draped his arm over Ginny's shoulders. "Try not to think about it too much, Ginny. I've learned that Sirius will spend his money however he sees fit, regardless of how much you argue against it."

"Too right. Listen to him, Ginny." There was a ding and the doors swooshed open. "Come on, we're down this way."

This time, Ginny took the bed by the window despite the view being filled with the street, cars, and buildings. Their room was a mini-suite with a little sitting area separated from the beds by a half-wall. Light colors decorated the walls, floor and beds.

"So, anyone hungry?"

"Famished," Ginny answered, nodding enthusiastically.

Before Harry could respond, his stomach growled loudly, making them all laugh. "Well, obviously, I am, too."

"Great, because there's this place not far from here called Hard Rock Cafe. They have various types of music memorabilia on the walls. Harry, feel up to a short walk?"

"Yeah, sure. Sounds like a great place to go."

"This entire area is covered in restaurants and shops so we can take our time on the way back."

Harry motioned towards the door. "Let's go, then."

0000

After a meal of nachos shared between the three of them, a chicken and macaroni and cheese dish for Ginny, grilled salmon for Sirius and New York Strip steak for Harry, Sirius insisted on dessert. Harry and Ginny shared a Chocolate Molten Cake while Sirius chose apple cobbler. As their dishes were cleared and payment was taken care of, Harry propped his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands, groaning lightly.

"I'm so full," he moaned piteously. "Why didn't you stop me, Sirius? You're supposed to be looking out for me."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "That's all on you, kiddo. You're old enough to know what you want or don't want." Harry let out another moan. "Come on, there's a lot of shops around here. We can walk it off."

That's how the evening was spent, wandering in and out of various shops until Harry's energy waned. Back at the hotel, Harry immediately went to bed, falling asleep quickly. The other two elected to read, and for a little while, the only sound heard was Harry's deep breathing until a muffled voice called out from Harry's mirror, which still sat in his carry-on bag. Sirius quickly pulled it out.

"Is something wrong, Molly?"

"I don't think so, Sirius. I just thought you should know that Albus came by today, wanting to get your address to offer you the Defense Against the Dark Arts position again, or so he said. He asked to speak to Ginny. He was none too pleased to learn she wasn't home. I told him she was spending time with Bill. He, then, asked for Ron and Hermione. They told him they didn't know Harry's address, either. I can only assume Albus spoke to Neville next. Sirius, I think he knows we're keeping something from him."

Sirius sighed. He had known it wouldn't take long. "As astute as he is, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Not to worry, Molly. The way we've bounced from location to location, I don't think he'll be able to track us too far, if he can at all. Thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome, Sirius. I just wish I had done a better job at concealing the truth."

"It's fine, Molly. Did Dumbledore give you the impression that he would contact Bill?"

"I didn't get that impression, no, but even if he does, Bill will cover for us. It's all been planned out."

"I appreciate that, Molly, I really do."

"It's the least we could do. So, how is everyone?"

"We're fine, Molly. Harry's sound asleep, but Ginny's awake still. We just had a big dinner and walked around, looking in some shops. We didn't want to overdo it."

Molly's expression became sympathetic, eyes like Ginny's turning watery. "That poor boy. I will never forget the tortured screams coming from our back garden last Christmas. To hear him in such pain … it broke my heart—after the shock wore off, of course. It's a wonder how much that poor child has endured."

Somberly, Sirius gazed over at Harry a moment, catching every little hitch in his godson's breathing and every little flash of pain that crossed Harry's face. His own heart ached for what Harry would soon be undergoing. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Harry should have had a good childhood, one filled with laughter and love and material things. Pushing those thoughts away, Sirius returned his attention back to Molly.

"I know exactly how you feel, Molly. It's certainly not easy to take." Aware that Ginny was listening intently from behind her makeshift curtain, he changed the subject. "I'm sure Ginny would like to chat. I'll hand the mirror over to her."

After passing the mirror to Ginny, Sirius cast the privacy charm around her, then dropped onto the sofa with a heavy sigh. The full moon was swiftly approaching. In a way, he wished it was already here. Being present for Remus' transformations had been bad enough; what he heard had always made him cringe. Harry's transformations, however, were worse. Sirius never felt so helpless than he did when Harry changed. He loved that kid almost as if he was his own son. Sirius sighed again, running a hand over his face. Getting maudlin about it wouldn't help anything. Picking up his book, he delved back into the story.

0000 **—Sun, Aug 21**

Harry wasn't sure what to think now as they drove out to the village after touring Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. As he had taken his potion earlier, Sirius had told him about the call from Ginny's mum. Sirius had reassured him that things were fine, but Harry could see that Sirius was just a bit concerned about it. For all they knew now, Dumbledore could be tracing their steps. Harry wished he'd been awake for that call. He could have maybe gotten a better idea of whether there was a real reason to be worried. He'd been utterly exhausted, though, once they'd returned to their hotel room. He couldn't have kept his eyes open even if he'd tried.

Hoping they'd covered their tracks well enough, Harry forced himself to concentrate on the present. Worrying about something when it hadn't even happened yet—and may not ever happen—was just a waste of energy, which he seriously needed to conserve if he was going to survive the next few days. He felt as if the full moon was a lot closer than the three days away that it actually was. Merlin! How was he going to make it? Already he was so bloody tired and sore, more so than usual. Harry feared he might actually have to admit to being too tired to do anything, though he really didn't want to do that. He wanted this trip to be memorable for Ginny and sitting in a hotel room wouldn't be memorable.

They finally arrived at their destination. His first glimpse gave him the impression that history and modern times had collided in some weird time warp or something. The buildings were all historic, colonial-style in design and the walkways were red brick, while signs dangling from posts declared their modern wares and tourists in shorts and tee shirts roamed the area. Once they'd left the car and drew closer, he could see nicely maintained flower gardens spread sporadically along the pathway, some small and some large. Harry's gaze jumped from side to side at the rows of shops on either side of the walkway, and he grinned.

"Straight out of _A Christmas Carol_ ," he murmured.

"What's that, Harry?"

Harry turned to Ginny and tried to explain. " _A Christmas Carol._ It's a movie I saw once. Well, a film based on a book. It's about this bitter old man who gets visited by ghosts, Christmas Past, Present, and Future, one night and gets shown his own past, present, and future. The bitter man ends up having a change of heart and becomes nicer."

"I think I remember hearing about that at one point," Sirius said. "Never saw it, though, nor have I read the book."

"What's a film?" Ginny asked quietly.

Harry had to think about that one a moment. How to describe a film? "Well, it's a bit like hearing a program on the Wireless but with moving pictures."

"Oh. Sounds interesting." Ginny snorted. "Too bad Snape hasn't had a change of heart. Surely, he's been visited by at least three ghosts. Who wrote the story? Was it a wizard?"

"I don't think so, but I'm not sure. And yeah, Snape could definitely use a visit by these ghosts."

Sirius agreed with both of their assessments. "Okay, well, if you see a shop you want to browse through, speak up."

They'd walked for about fifteen minutes when Sirius ushered them into a shop. As it turned out, the shop used photographs of various subjects that resembled letters and numbers and used those photographs to make framed artwork out of names. Ginny was so taken with the idea, Harry started to offer to buy her one when Sirius beat him to it.

"Oh, I couldn't! Those are way too expensive."

She tried to brush past Harry in order to lead them back outside, but Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Ginny, pick out what you want or I will, and you may not like what I pick."

She stared at him with narrowed eyes. "You don't need to spend so much money on me."

"I know. What about this? What if you designed one for the Burrow? Would that make you feel better?"

Reluctantly, Ginny agreed. "I suppose. I do have something to give to Dad, so it would be a bit nice to give something to Mum. I want to pay for as much of it as I can, though."

"There you go, then." As Ginny began looking through the photographs, Harry exchanged a look with Sirius. Harry grinned when he realized Sirius was thinking the same thing. "Er, Ginny, if you _did_ get one for yourself, what would you choose?"

Ginny turned to face him, her eyes hard. "Harry, _no_."

Harry wasn't about to give up. "Just pretend for a moment. What would you like?"

Ginny sighed heavily. "Probably the beach ones. I've always wanted to see the ocean, to play in the water."

Harry glanced to Sirius, received a nod, then returned his attention back to his girlfriend. Ginny was going to get her artwork. Sirius would see to it. Harry looked around the walls of the shop and spied the perfect photos for Ginny's piece. In one photo, the G was made of shells on the beach. In another, a vertical line of breaking waves would be perfect for an I. On the opposite wall hung a picture of an N drawn in wet sand. Next to it, a Y had also been made of shells. Discreetly, Harry pointed out the photos to Sirius, who nodded again.

"Harry, which W do you like best?"

"I don't know, Ginny. What kinds of things does your mum like?"

"She likes gardening. Maybe I'll go with that theme."

While the final details were being determined, framing and matting for instance, Harry debated whether to get one, himself. Was it too girlish? Perhaps not. There were plenty of photographs that were quite masculine in nature. Too, Ginny might feel less weird if she wasn't the only one to get one. It _would_ be a little nice to have something to honor his parents in some way. Having talked himself into it, Harry pulled the book of samples over to him.

"Getting one, Harry?"

"I think I will. I don't have much with my family name on it, so this would be honoring them in a way."

Sirius gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "That's a nice idea, kiddo."

In the end, Harry chose a metal handrail for the P, a close-up shot of a rock with a hole in it for the O, painted bricks in a brick road for both T's, what appeared to be a section of a crenelated wall turned on its side for the E, and a nice typeface R stamped into a flat stone. Black matting and frame completed his piece.

Sirius chose not to purchase one for himself, so forty-five minutes later, the three of them walked out of the shop carrying their purchases. Harry sighed when Ginny refused to take his hand. She was a bit irritated with him and Sirius for getting her personal art piece.

"Come on, Ginny. Don't be mad at me."

"I told you no, Harry. I told you I didn't want either of you spending that much money on me!"

Ginny stalked away from them. Harry watched her go, confused. He didn't think what he and Sirius had done was all that bad. Sirius followed after Ginny, and Harry trailed them, still trying to work out just what was so wrong with buying her something she wanted. Afraid she'd yell at him again, he hung back from Ginny and Sirius. He even turned his back on them and discreetly cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm around them to distract all the people so they wouldn't overhear Ginny. He'd even placed himself outside the charm's "bubble" of influence.

Harry noticed he stood next to a sweets shop and decided to go inside. The instant he entered, Honeydukes came to mind. Along one wall were shelves of boxed Muggle sweets. There were wooden barrels and buckets, some containing cellophane-wrapped sweets while others simply had scoops in them. Shelves in the middle of the floor held wrapped individual cakes of different shapes and flavors. Towers had various types of lollies sticking out at angles like a skinny porcupine. Along another wall was a glass counter that covered fresh offerings of fudge, biscuits, more sweets and other pastries.

Upon completing a full circuit of the shop, Ginny and Sirius were still outside, so Harry figured to busy himself with buying something. Harry went straight to the counter to see what exactly was being offered. After a few moments of contemplation, he requested a half-pound of dark chocolate raisin clusters for Sirius and a half-pound of peanut clusters for him and Ginny to share. In addition, Harry purchased some peanut butter fudge and some rock candy crystal sticks of varying flavors.

"Oh, there you are," Sirius said from behind Harry. "I didn't think you had gotten far."

Harry forced himself to smile as he faced his godfather, unable to see if Ginny was still angry. "Oh, yeah. I thought I'd come in and see what they had." He finished his transaction, then moved away to make room for other customers.

"What did you get?" Sirius asked, trying to peer into Harry's paper sack.

"Some raisin clusters, peanut clusters, some peanut butter fudge, and some rock candy crystal sticks."

"Sounds good, especially those raisin clusters."

Harry rolled his eyes at the not-so-subtle hint. "Yes, those raisin clusters are for you, Sirius. I know how much you like chocolate-covered raisins. The rest is for whoever wants any." Harry's gaze flicked to Ginny, but she wouldn't look at him, her gaze instead fixed on the floor.

"Well, don't eat any of that until after lunch, which is ..." Sirius pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. " …right now. Let's go find a place to eat."

They settled on Peddler's Village's flagship restaurant. The Sunday Brunch was a huge spread of breakfast and lunch items. Scrambled eggs, sausage, something called French toast, omelets prepared as you watched, fresh muffins and bagels, hand carved roast beef, roasted chicken and vegetables were just a small selection of what was offered. There were also mini-cakes, biscuits, and assorted pastries.

After getting their drinks, Sirius announced with a meaningful look, "I'm going to fill my plate. I'll be back."

Harry sat silently, not knowing what to do or say. Just as the situation was becoming awkward, Ginny spoke.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She sighed and looked him in the eyes. "It's not really the amount of money you spent. Sirius told me it was really just over fifteen galleons. That's not why I was mad at you. What angered me was the fact that you went ahead and bought that piece for me even after I said no. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but—"

"I don't understand. Why was it so wrong to buy it for you when you really wanted it?"

"You disrespected my wishes, Harry, for starters. Just because I would _like_ to have something doesn't mean I _should_ have it. The other reason I didn't want you to get it for me was because of how I feel when you buy stuff for me."

"What? What do you mean by 'how you feel'?"

Ginny rubbed the tabletop nervously. "I get a little uncomfortable, Harry. I'm not used to owning a lot of things. I don't _need_ a lot of things. I don't want to get used to you buying me stuff. I don't want people to think I'm with you for that reason."

"Who cares what people think?"

"I do to some extent. Rumors and gossip can hurt, Harry. You know that as much as I do."

"I do know, yes. I'm sorry, Ginny. I never thought about it that way. I just thought you'd like to get gifts as much as I like to give them to you. I never meant to make you uncomfortable." Harry glanced around them, thinking, vaguely wondering if Sirius was purposely staying away. He shrugged, repeatedly running his thumbnail through a shallow gouge in the table. "Maybe I was trying to keep you happy, thinking that if you were happy, you wouldn't miss your family and friends so much and get sad. I know it's bound to happen sooner or later. I guess I just didn't want you to regret leaving them, so I overcompensated or something."

Ginny's hand on his surprised him enough to look up at her. She looked as if she wanted to cry, but she was smiling. The pain around his heart eased a little. When she threaded her fingers through his, the pain disappeared entirely.

"You're so incredibly sweet, Harry James Potter, and I am one lucky witch. I love you, and there's no other place I'd rather be than right here, with you."

Relief and happiness had him beaming. "I love you, too. I think _I'm_ the one who's lucky, though. I couldn't have gotten any luckier if I'd taken Felix Felicis."

Ginny groaned good-naturedly. "That line was awful, Harry."

Harry laughed a little. "I suppose, but it's true. So, are we okay, now?"

Ginny smiled. "Of course we are, Harry. We were never _not_ okay. I have a temper, you know. I'm going to yell at you at times."

"I know you do. There's just so much that's changing. I don't want to alienate you or anything. I don't know what I'd do if you changed your mind." Harry sighed, rolling his eyes. "I hate getting moody."

Ginny chuckled. "It's the full moon coming. You can't help it." She gave his hand a little tug. "Come here."

When she leaned toward him, he leaned forward and bushed her lips with his, letting out a little sigh at the contact. Very briefly, the kiss deepened. Harry pulled back to place his forehead against hers. Giddiness filled him and he began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Harry replied, taking her right hand in his left and running his thumb over her ring. "I'm just so happy. I hated that you were mad at me."

"Well, I see that things are back to normal."

Harry leaned away from Ginny to look up at Sirius, who was smirking down at them as he placed his full plate on their table. "Yes. Yes, they are."

"Good. Now, go get something to eat. Both of you."

Harry managed a cheeky salute. "Yes, sir!"

Hand in hand, Harry and Ginny went to fill their own plates.

0000

After lunch, the three browsed through a few more shops, one being an Irish shop. Almost instantly, Harry spotted a necklace he would love to see around Ginny's neck. It was a simple silver medallion just under an inch wide with a Trinity Knot engraved on one side, while the words _anam cara_ was engraved on the back. According to the display placard, the words meant 'soul mate'. That's exactly what she felt like to Harry, his soul mate. With Ginny's recent words still ringing in his head, he walked away from it.

Unexpectedly, he yawned. A quick search of the shop told him neither Sirius nor Ginny had noticed. Sirius was too busy studying some stained glass and Ginny kept sniffing one arm, then her other arm. Curious as to what, exactly, she was doing, Harry joined her, yawning again, which Ginny narrowly missed, having turned to smile at him a fraction of a second too late.

Ginny held up her bare forearms. "Help me decide, Harry. Which one of these do you like better?"

The first arm smelled lightly of peaches and roses, with some other floral scents he couldn't name. "That one is nice. It reminds me of you."

Ginny smiled at him and held up her other arm. Harry sniffed it. The scent wasn't bad at all, but it tickled his nose. In it, he could detect something floral, fruity, and something else, but he wasn't sure what. Despite his nasal reaction, he sniffed Ginny's arm again. It took two more tries to figure out he was detecting a woodsy component.

Dropping her arm and turning away from her quickly, Harry sneezed twice. "Sorry, Ginny," he apologized once he was certain he was done.

"Well, that answers _that_ question," Ginny quipped.

"If you want it, get it. That was just bad timing." She didn't seem convinced, so he took her arm again, sniffed it a final time and, when his nose tingled ominously, willed himself not to sneeze again. "See? Just bad timing. That one is nice, too."

Ginny watched him a moment, most likely waiting to see if he was going to sneeze again. When he didn't, she turned back to the shelf before her, picked up two short boxes, and glanced between them, apparently trying to come to a decision. If she chose the one that bothered him, well, he'd just deal with it.

"Which is which?"

Holding up the box in her left hand, she said, "This was the one you checked first." Indicating the other box, she said, "This is the one you reacted to."

"Both of them were really nice on you, Ginny. Pick whichever one you like the most."

"That's just it, Harry," Ginny replied with exasperation. "I don't know which one I like more."

"Get them both, then."

"I can't do that!"

Harry stared at her in confusion a moment. "Why not?"

"I have to save my money for school supplies."

"Ginny, you've barely _touched_ your money. Besides, the majority of your school stuff is already taken care of, remember? It's Sirius' treat."

"I remember, but …"

Harry hushed her with a quick kiss, then grinned. "Get them both. Splurge a little."

"I shouldn't, but I really like them both. Oh, alright, you've convinced me."

"Good," Harry said with a grin. "Glad I could help."

As Ginny moved on to another display, Harry hung back a little, furiously rubbing his nose, begging the tingling to go away, but it wasn't. It was getting stronger. Pretending to wander the shop, he slipped away from Ginny and out of the shop. Just in time, too. He hadn't taken more than a few steps when the sneezes hit—three of them. Bloody hell! What was in that one fragrance that bothered him so much? Sniffling, he hoped to hide his problem with that scent. Without any warning, he yawned again. Fatigue was setting in. The heat and sun probably weren't helping. One more thing to hide.

When Harry re-entered the shop, he spotted Ginny standing next to Sirius while Sirius held up a light green shirt to her, checking its possible fit. A shopping sack dangled from Ginny's arm. Walking over, he read the shirt and laughed.

"It suits you."

"Oh, there you are, Harry," Sirius said, sparing Harry a quick glance. "It does suit her, does it?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and stepped away from the shirt. "I may be wee, but I have all six of my brothers fearing me."

"This is true, Sirius. You may want to watch yourself."

Ginny smiled and kissed his cheek. "So, where did you go? I turned around and you had disappeared."

"Oh, er …"

Harry frantically tried to come up with an excuse while calling himself stupid for not having the forethought to come up with something already. He must have looked guilty or something because Sirius eyed him sternly. Heat blossomed in Harry's cheeks.

"You weren't sneaking any of that chocolate, were you? You said you were sharing."

Harry thought he could work with that and plastered a sheepish expression on his face. "Thought about it. I didn't, though. Don't worry. It's all there."

Sirius broke into laughter. "Maybe we should split that up so you're not tempted, eh?"

Harry shook his head, sighing dramatically. "If you want your chocolate, just say so." Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a smaller waxed paper bag. "Here."

As they left the shop, Harry pulled out another waxed paper bag. "Want some, Ginny?"

"Sure."

Munching on their chocolates, the three were flabbergasted to find a Wizarding section of the Village down a short side alley. The shops here were similar to what could be found in Diagon Alley. In the center of the Wizarding area was a large carousel, pipe organ music filling the air. Instead of horses, this carousel had brightly painted magical creatures made of wood. Harry was certain he saw at least four types of dragons, some Hippogriffs, four or five Unicorns, some Pegasi, and even some Phoenixes, all of which hovered in place on the carousel platform and gently rose up and down. People of all ages enjoyed the leisurely ride.

"Oh, we are definitely doing that," Sirius declared with glee. "I want a Hippogriff."

Sirius headed over to the ticket booth to pay for their rides. Harry shared a laugh with Ginny. In truth, he could use a little break. His energy was dwindling fairly quickly now, not that he'd admit it if he could help it. Just thinking about how tired he felt made him want to yawn. Knowing that if he started now he wouldn't be able to stop, Harry clenched his teeth against the urge.

"Which are you going to pick, Harry?"

Harry didn't answer her immediately. He couldn't. He was too busy suppressing another yawn. Unable to completely quash it, he opted for a deep inhale instead, hoping Ginny wouldn't notice.

"I don't know," he replied once he could. "A dragon would be brilliant, I think. What about you?"

Ginny didn't respond right away, either. Looking down, Harry saw that she was studying him. Oh, bugger! Was it obvious what he had been doing? She had that look in her eyes that said he'd been caught. She confirmed his suspicions with her next words.

"You're getting tired again, aren't you?" She said it with such certainty that he could only answer affirmatively. "Why didn't you say anything, Harry?" She lifted her hand to cup his face. Unfortunately for Harry, it put the scent he seemed to be allergic to practically right under his nose. "You promised you'd speak up, Harry. We can't help if you don't talk to us."

Harry gulped, uncertain as to whether he could repress both problems simultaneously. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just been a lot of fun." Harry forced himself to breathe shallowly, resorting to silently begging her to drop her arm.

"Here's our tickets," Sirius called as he joined them. "No arguments, now. Some of us could use the rest." When Harry met his gaze in surprise, Sirius simply looked at him. "What? You think I hadn't noticed how much you had slowed down in the last twenty minutes or so? I've been watching you all day."

"Oh." Embarrassed heat burned the tips of Harry's ears.

"Did you know this part of the Village existed, Sirius?"

"No, I had no idea. I was just trying to subtly get us back to the car when we came through that alleyway. Let's go."

The rest was just what Harry needed to give him enough energy to make it back to the car. They'd already checked out of their hotel room, so they went straight to the airport. Getting his ticket, Harry noted their destination.

"Richmond, Virginia?"

"That's where we're going," Sirius confirmed with a nod. "Why don't you sit down and rest? We won't be boarding for about thirty minutes. You can sleep on the plane."

Yawning, Harry nodded and sat in a somewhat cushiony chair. Propping his arms on his knees, Harry used them for a pillow, weariness setting in. The yawns were coming non-stop no matter how much he tried to hold them back. A hand rubbed his back soothingly. Harry closed his eyes, savoring the comfort that hand gave him. Before long, he drifted off into a light slumber.

0000

Albus sat at his desk with his hands together, elbows on the desktop. He'd been sitting there pondering his situation for quite a few hours. What was he going to do now? The talk with Neville yielded nothing new. While he admired Sirius' diligence in keeping Harry perfectly safe, the secrecy made it very difficult to speak to them. Albus would have sent a letter, but he wanted to speak to them in person. It was easier to convince someone to do something if you were face to face. He preferred to have Sirius teach Defense Against the Dark Arts again, but maybe he needed to begin looking at whatever other options there were. Admittedly, there weren't many. Pulling out parchment and quill, he began to make a list.

Thirty minutes later, the list contained five names. The name that topped the list was his old friend and retired Auror, Alastor Moody. Though his friend was highly paranoid and rather brusque in his dealings with others, maybe he could be convinced to take the post for just the upcoming year. With his vast experience, he was certainly qualified to teach. Albus nodded. Yes, he would start with Alastor.

The Headmaster's gaze dropped to the bottom of the list. _Ministry Official_ , it said. Other than an Auror, no one at the Ministry was really qualified to teach, but something told Albus that wouldn't matter. Unfortunately, knowing Cornelius Fudge the way he did, it would be Dolores Umbridge who was appointed as professor. Albus frowned at the thought. Dolores Umbridge was not a pleasant person, and he hated to think what would happen if she was sent here to teach.

Albus' face hardened with determination. No. Umbridge would not be coming to Hogwarts this year. He would do everything in his power to see to it, even if he had to teach the class himself! With that in his mind, Albus left his office, exited the castle and Disapparated. Alastor was going to take quite a bit of convincing.


	8. Take a Deep Breath

_**I have so much chaos in my life, it's become normal. You become used to it. You have to just relax, calm down, take a deep breath …**_

 _ **-Tom Welling**_

Despite the constant weariness and aches, Harry was thoroughly enjoying their time in Virginia so far. Sunday evening, the three of them had stayed at the hotel, Harry and Ginny playing in the pool. Monday morning it had rained, so Sirius had taken them to a fun center where they raced go-karts and played something called Laser Tag. The karts had been fun, in Harry's opinion, even though they hadn't been very fast. Then again, he was likely just used to the speed of a broom, so anything would be slow compared to a Wizarding broom. Surprisingly, Ginny finished the race before the other two, though she didn't finish first. Harry had laughed when she had admitted to sneaking out to her father's shed when she was young and pretending to drive the car her father kept there. Laser Tag had been fun, as well. Harry and Ginny had eventually teamed up back-to back and "fought off" anyone who stepped within range. Later, Harry had remarked that it had been nice to see harmless beams of light, for once.

After lunch and Harry's nap, the rain had continued, so they had visited a science museum. Exhibits had run the gamut of subjects, from the properties of sound to electricity, to health and to weather. Each exhibit had been fully interactive. Harry's favorite had been a sort of ball with an electric current flowing through it. It had been his favorite because the instant Ginny had touched it, enough of her hair had risen to resemble dandelion fluff before it had been blown from its stem. Ginny had then tried to get Harry to put his hand on the ball, but Harry had said his hair stuck up enough on its own. Harry had found the exhibit on human DNA to be rather interesting, and he wondered if any of the information could be used to help find a cure for lycanthropy.

On Tuesday, upon hearing of the activity Sirius had planned for them, Harry had insisted on doing it, so the morning had been spent in Williamsburg, an hour's drive from Richmond, at a treetop adventure park. Harnesses that clipped onto safety lines had been strapped onto them, and they were given a short lecture on safety before they could climb into the trees. It had been challenging for certain, but Harry also thought it had done him some good as it forced his muscles into stretching themselves out. There had been open, wooden tunnels to crawl through. Some rope bridges to walk across—with and without boards to leap to—had been stationary, while others had moved with each step taken. All throughout the course, little stations had offered water, and instructors had patrolled the course, as well. Harry's favorite had been something called the Tarzan swing in which one swung on a rope into a net that had been hung to impede the arc of the swing. The few seconds' worth of free fall gave him the same swooping sensation in his stomach that the dives he'd make on his broom gave him. Ginny and Sirius really enjoyed the zip line at the end, saying it felt like flying, and Harry had enjoyed it, too.

After lunch, Sirius parked the car in an out-of-the-way spot, placed a Notice-Me-Not Charm on it and them, then Apparated them back to their hotel room. He'd placed the _Do Not Disturb_ sign on their door so was fairly confident taking them back that way. The morning had taken so much out of them, all three of them had taken a nap, though Harry had slept an hour longer than the other two. While Harry had slept, Ginny circled the city of Williamsburg and connected it to the circle around Richmond she'd drawn on Monday.

Again, Harry had insisted on leaving the hotel that afternoon. They _did_ have a car to retrieve, after all. Where they had gone next had been a pirate-themed mini golf course with waterfalls, lush vegetation, parrot statues, and the requisite skeletons dressed in ratty pirate garb sitting on treasure chests. They had laughed at each other's poor attempts at getting their ball down to the hole. Sirius had ended up winning the round. They had eaten dinner in Williamsburg, then as they drove back, Harry slept. Between Ginny and Sirius, Harry made it up to their room where he promptly crashed for the night.

Now it was Wednesday. The full moon would be that night, and really, Harry was more than ready for it to come. He was so tired of being exhausted, unable to fully enjoy their activities. He hated being constantly monitored as if he was an invalid. On more than one occasion, he'd caught his girlfriend and his godfather quietly discussing something, and Harry knew by the way they'd shut up when he drew near that they were discussing him. Knowing they only did so out of concern for him didn't really make him feel any better.

Due to their late start that morning, or rather to _his_ late start that morning, they had brunch in Richmond before driving nearly two hours to Virginia Beach. Sirius drove them straight to a dock at a local aquarium. By the time they arrived, Harry was ready to move around a bit. They boarded a ferry-style boat and wandered a little as they waited for other patrons to arrive.

"Are we really going to see some ocean animals?" Ginny asked, excited at the prospect.

"We should, but there's no guarantee. It all depends on if there's anything nearby, but I'm fairly certain we'll see _something_."

Ten minutes later, the boat pulled away from the dock. Sirius, Harry, and Ginny positioned themselves near the front of the boat, leaning against the side that rose to just over waist height. The farther away from the beach they went, the windier it became, though it wasn't uncomfortable at all. Harry smiled when Ginny's arm wrapped around his waist and her head dropped to his shoulder. Shifting his position slightly, he dropped a kiss to the top of her head, then draped his own arm over her shoulders.

"Are you alright, Harry?" she asked, concern shining in her bright brown eyes.

"I'm fine, Ginny. Really, I am. Between getting up late and the two hour ride here, I'm fairly sure I have enough energy to get through the rest of the day."

Ginny smiled, but then a furrow wrinkled her brow, and Harry had a good idea of what she was thinking. Dropping another kiss to her head, he whispered, "Don't worry. I'll be alright. To tell you the truth, I'm glad the full moon will finally be here. I'm tired of being tired."

Ginny looked up at him, sympathy clouding her features. "I know, Harry. I'm a little glad myself. It's so hard to see you suffer." She quickly brushed her lips against his before turning back to the ocean.

"So, Ginny, is the ocean how you pictured it?" Sirius asked from Harry's other side, leaning forward a bit to see her.

"Well, not entirely. Though I have to admit, I've only seen pictures of tropical places."

It wasn't long before a tour guide drew there attention to a spot off to their right. A large pod of bottlenose dolphins were frolicking in the water, leaping out in graceful arcs—and the entire pod was heading in their direction. As the pod drew close, the boat's engines shut off.

"Oh, look at them!" Ginny breathed, just as excited as the little kids that were several positions down from her. "There's so many!"

"They're a lot bigger than I thought they were," Harry commented.

The dolphins stayed close to the boat for nearly fifteen minutes, putting on a show of jumps and spins, much to everyone's delight, before moving on. As the boat continued its tour, a guide discussed many natural dolphin behaviors and what was being done to help protect them and their habitats. Brown pelicans dove into the water searching for fish, water pouring through their bill pouches as they surfaced and took to the air.

"That would be so odd," Ginny observed as she watched the awkward-looking birds "rain" on the ocean.

"But it makes a great pocket!" Sirius responded, laughing. "Just imagine how much you could carry in that thing! You could save food for later!"

"Something tells me you wouldn't want to save your food for later," Harry dryly parried.

Sirius appeared to think about it, watching the birds. "Hmm. Maybe you're right."

Harry's brows jumped in surprise. "Well, that was easier than I expected. Usually, I have to work to change your mind."

Sirius shrugged, grinning. "You had a good point. Rotten fish is not high on my list of things I want to taste."

Ginny turned to Sirius, then, a look of mock disgust on her face. "You mean, it's actually _on_ your list?"

Sirius stared at her, momentarily speechless, before laughing. "Very funny. And no, it's not actually on my list. That would be disgusting. I'm not mental. Not by much, at any rate."

The sight-seeing tour lasted a total of ninety minutes and, in addition to the dolphins and pelicans they had seen sea turtles, bald eagles, as well as other sea birds. All too soon, the trip was over and they had returned to the dock. Harry had thoroughly enjoyed himself, more so than he'd thought he would. It had been rather nice to see the animals up close in their natural habitat. Pictures simply couldn't convey the grace and beauty of them.

As he climbed into the back seat of their rented black Chevy Impala, Harry glanced at Ginny and grinned. He didn't have to ask her if she enjoyed the tour. Her hair was slightly windblown, her cheeks were tinged with pink, her brown eyes were alight with happiness, but the most obvious clue to her mood was the broad smile she wore. Harry wasn't sure if he'd ever seen her look so pretty. On impulse, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

"What was that for?" Ginny asked softly once he'd moved back to his own side.

Harry shrugged, a smile on his own face. "No reason. I just felt like doing it."

"Oh," Ginny said, slightly amused. "Okay, then. Feel free anytime."

"Harry, are you feeling okay?" Sirius asked as he pulled out of the car park.

"What?" Harry pulled his gaze from Ginny to face the front.

"Are you up for another outing?"

"Sure. It's not as if what we just did was very strenuous or anything."

"I just wanted to be sure. Where we're going next isn't strenuous, either. Today is all about relaxation. We've been constantly on the go for nearly a fortnight. I thought it time we took a slow day."

Harry knew exactly why Sirius decided on a slow day, and secretly, he was glad for the chance to take it easy. The strain of it all was beginning to get to him. He watched the scenery fly by: modest buildings, average-sized streets, and a bit of landscaping. It didn't take long to reach the next car park. Once they'd exited the car, Harry took Ginny's hand. Looking around, he couldn't figure out where Sirius was taking them. None of the surrounding buildings appeared to be entertainment-related.

At a traffic light, the trio crossed the street and walked down the footpath. Trees and lampposts were spaced at regular intervals, as were dustbins. There was even a rack for bicycles to be chained and "stored." Harry could easily see that the city was making an effort to beautify the area, likely hoping to attract more tourists. It certainly didn't seem to be a bad place to be. It was much quieter here than in some other places they'd been to recently. The shops here looked to be part of one long building, but each individual shop had its own personalized shopfront sign, decorations, glass doors and display windows.

Sirius stopped in front of one and gestured. "Here we are." He grinned wickedly and rubbed his hands together. "Let's go have some fun."

Harry read the sign on one of the windows. _Old Time Photos_. He exchanged a confused glance with Ginny before shrugging. Sirius entered first, then Ginny, with Harry last. On the walls were photos of people dressed in old-style clothing, from cowboys and Indians to gangsters and swimming costumes of a century ago, and more. Some women were scantily clad, while others wore long, bushy dresses that covered them from head to toe.

They were set up with a book of photos that depicted the various themes, getting descriptions of the costumes from a worker. After flipping through it, they came to a unanimous decision to be gangsters. A couple of young women took Ginny into a room to find a costume, while two men took Sirius and Harry into another room. Eventually, Harry settled on black, pin-striped trousers with a matching waistcoat, emerald green oxford shirt, and black tie. On his head, he wore a black fedora pulled low over his right brow. Sirius' attire was similar, but his trousers were simply black, his waistcoat was gray in the front with black buttons, and his shirt was also black, as was his tie. Sirius also wore a fedora, though his was pulled low over his left eye. Both of them chose Tommy guns for handheld accessories.

He and Sirius were led to their background set, a saloon-style bar with shelves filled with various whiskey bottles behind it. Small barrels and sacks of "goods" were artfully arranged on the floor. The two men left to help another customer. Harry couldn't wait to see what Ginny chose for her costume. He hoped she wasn't terribly embarrassed by the vast majority of the clothing and could find something to wear.

When Ginny exited her room, Sirius gave a bark of laughter, but Harry could only grin. She'd chosen a black, modestly cut, sleeveless pin-striped dress that perfectly matched his clothes, right down to the waistcoat appearance of the bodice. Around her neck, was a multi-strand pearl choker necklace. She wore black stockings—fishnet, were they?—and black slip-on shoes with a slight heel. She'd also chosen to wear a black fedora, which she wore in the normal way, and for accessories, she held a silver-toned pistol in one hand and a stack of fake bills in her other one. She grinned when she joined them.

"What do you think?"

"You look good. Why am I not surprised that you ended up picking clothes to match Harry's?"

"It wasn't intentional," Ginny said, laughing.

Harry's grin widened. "I like it," he finally said.

Ginny smiled up at him with a hint of mischief, making his pulse jump a little. "Good. I like your choices, too." Leaning close, she whispered in his ear. "I'd love to do this again when your eyes are back to their normal color. They'd jump right out of the picture."

"I'd like that, too."

Ginny was then helped onto the bar, a safe positioned under her feet to prop them on. When the skirt of the dress was pushed aside to reveal a garter just above her knee with more bills tucked into it, Harry gulped. Taking a deep breath, he forced his brain not to go _there_. Small sections of her hair were pulled over her shoulders to hang in front. Harry was then directed to stand on Ginny's right side, Sirius to her left. Ginny laughed and propped her gun hand over Harry's shoulder, making her ring visible, while her other hand rested on her leg. Both Harry and Sirius rotated their guns inward slightly and propped them on their hips, muzzle tips upward and at an angle. Harry's ring winked in the light. Several photos were snapped, some with them smiling and others where they were more serious.

As the three of them changed back into their normal clothes, the photos were developed. Once they returned, they had a decision to make. Which photo did they like the most?

"I like the color one," Ginny declared.

"That one is nice," Harry agreed. "I do like the antique look of the other one, too, though, even if it is a more serious photo."

"Yeah, I like them both, too." Sirius turned to the proprietor. "We can't decide, so we'll take them both. Frame them each in your square brass frame, please."

As they headed back to their car, Ginny thanked Sirius. "That was fun, though I'll admit to being a little worried after seeing some of the costumes."

Sirius snorted. "Yeah, I could just see Molly's reaction if you wore any of _those_. I'd end up in St. Mungo's for a week."

Harry chuckled. "That's if you even survived."

"True." They reached the car and, once everyone was buckled in, Sirius continued. "Alright, now for the reason I had you bring your swimming costumes and towels."

A few minutes later, they pulled into yet another car park. Only, this one had an even better view. Golden sand and waving grasses stretched out to either side of them. Once they were parked, Sirius turned back to face Ginny, grinning.

"Your wish is my command. Enjoy the beach, Ginny."

Ginny let out an excited squeal as they climbed out of the car, swimming costumes and towels in hand. "Where can we change?"

Sirius pointed them to a smallish building. "That's a loo. Ginny, Harry, you two go ahead and change your clothes. I'll go last."

Within minutes, both teens returned and Sirius disappeared into the building to change.

"Harry, are you okay? Are you up for this? I know I said I'd like to see the beach and play in the water, but we can just go back to the room if you're too tired. With what's coming later, maybe it would be best if we did leave."

"No! Honestly, Ginny, I'm doing alright. We've taken it really easy today, so I'm good. I promise."

"You're sure? But then, you would probably say that anyway, wouldn't you?"

Harry cringed inwardly, guilt swamping him. He hadn't been as honest with her as he'd said he would be. Cupping her face, he looked directly into her eyes. "I'm sorry I haven't kept my promise. Old habits die hard. I seem to always be apologizing to you and promising I'll do better, but it never seems to happen, does it?"

"It's alright, Harry, I understand. It won't happen overnight. It took you years to develop those habits, so it will take a long time to fully rid yourself of them." She studied his face carefully. "Are you absolutely certain you're okay?"

"I promise. Right now, I'm not all that tired."

"But you are a little."

"A tiny bit."

Ginny grinned cheekily. "See? That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Was I just manipulated into saying that?"

Ginny laughed. "Why would you ever think that?" Her mirth quickly disappeared. "No, I didn't manipulate you, Harry. I just don't want you pushing yourself more than you should."

"I know. I promise, if I start feeling really tired, I'll lie down a bit, okay?"

"Okay."

The thought to kiss Ginny had just popped into his head when Sirius' question prevented him from acting on it. Looking up, he saw his godfather leaning against the building watching them. "Yeah, everything's fine. Let's go have some fun."

0000—Aug 25 Thurs

Ginny awakened early the next morning. In fact, the sky was still dark, but edging towards a lighter color. Harry would soon be undergoing another transformation. She didn't know which was worse, hearing the pain he suffered through, or not hearing anything at all. Sirius had encapsulated their room in Silencing Charms, including the loo at Harry's insistence, which was where Harry changed when the time had come. Sirius had initially booked a suite with adjoining bedrooms, but there had been a mix-up, so they'd taken a mini-suite like they'd had previously. Ginny had tossed and turned all night, constantly checking on Harry by peeking around the barrier set up between the beds. Doubting she'd be able to sleep any more, Ginny quietly pulled her book out of her bag and lit her wand. Settling back into bed, she froze at a faint whimper. Not hearing another sound, she opened her book.

Two hours later, yawning, Ginny put her book away. The thought crossed her mind to lie down and try to get some sleep before Harry changed back, but a loud whimper broke the early morning silence, along with movements and a soft _thud_ as something hit the floor. That could only mean one thing. It was time.

"It's alright, Harry, I've got you," she heard Sirius softly say.

A rustle of clothes, a lupine yelp of pain, then footsteps crossing the room towards the loo had Ginny throwing on her dressing gown. She wanted to be ready to help Harry once he was himself again. Ducking out from behind the duvet barrier, she anxiously sat at the foot of Harry's bed.

"I'm not surprised that you're awake."

Ginny shrugged. "Didn't sleep much. Besides, I wanted to be here in case Harry needed me. I can sleep later. Harry's more important."

"That he is."

Twenty minutes later, the door opened and Harry, dressed in his usual sleeping attire and trembling violently, stepped out. Ginny jumped up, wanting to run over to him, but Sirius beat her to it, so she watched as Sirius helped Harry over to his bed. Ginny quickly pulled the duvet back to make it easier for him to climb between the sheets. Once Harry was situated, Sirius poured some water into a cup and brought it over.

"Here, Harry. Have a little of this."

Harry managed a few swallows before he said he'd had enough. Sighing heavily, he lay flat on his back. Ginny scooted a little closer to him and began running her fingers through his hair.

"Do you want any pain potion, Harry?" Sirius asked from his position on Harry's other side. "I have some if you want it."

"No," Harry croaked, more than half asleep already. "I just want to sleep for a bit."

"Alright, then. You sleep." Sirius looked up at Ginny and softly said, "Stay with him. I think he draws more comfort from your presence than he does mine."

Blushing, Ginny shook her head. "I don't know about that."

"You doubt that? I seem to recall a certain instance during the Easter hols in which you were next to him on his bed and your mum was ready to make you get up. Do you remember that?"

"I do, yes."

"Do you recall what I said to your mum to stop her?" When Ginny shook her head negatively, he explained. "I told her to leave you right where you were because Harry was sleeping much better than he usually did after a transformation. He knew you were there, and he took comfort in that fact."

"I do remember that, now. I thought you just said that because you didn't want Harry disturbed."

"Oh, no. I meant every word of it. You bring him comfort, Ginny, a kind I can't provide. If you need more proof, take a look."

When Sirius pointed at Harry, Ginny looked down and was surprised. He'd partially turned in her direction, not quite onto his side, and had nearly curled himself around her. She'd been so distracted by her conversation with Sirius and that memory he'd brought up, she hadn't even realized that Harry had moved. Knowing she helped him in some small way brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked them away.

"I'm glad I can help him. I always felt useless, unable to do anything for him."

"Never think that, Ginny. Now, I know you've been awake for some time. Why don't you try to sleep? I don't think Harry will mind if you settled in."

Ginny's cheeks flushed again. "You'd be okay with that?"

A small grin toyed with Sirius' lips. "It's just sleep, Ginny."

Ginny started to protest, but yawned instead. "Yeah. Alright."

Very carefully, she lay down. She needn't have worried about waking Harry. However, he did seem to sense her shift in position as he rolled fully onto his side, his head coming to rest on her shoulder. Yawning again, Ginny closed her eyes, Harry's rhythmic breaths lulling her to sleep.

0000

Harry slowly became aware that his head wasn't resting on his pillow. A very familiar scent registered in his brain. Heat flooded his cheeks once it dawned on him what, or rather whom, he was using for a pillow. The next thing he noticed was the location of his arm, gently rising with each of Ginny's deep breaths. At least she was asleep. She didn't need to know how they'd ended up, and what she didn't know, wouldn't hurt _him_.

Though every muscle and joint loudly protested the movement, Harry painstakingly moved his arm from its position across Ginny's stomach, then moved away from her altogether. That little bit of motion cost him dearly, so he simply lay on his back, wincing in pain, his breathing slightly erratic, and biting back the moans that wanted to escape. Eventually, he managed to push himself upright, slip out of bed and, grabbing his glasses, head for the loo. It surprised Harry to see that, currently, he was the only one awake.

Upon exiting the loo, Harry was met by Sirius, who stood by the sofa, full cup in hand, looking as if he could use more sleep. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Sirius came over and handed Harry the cup. "It's fine. Here. Pain potion. Take it. You'll feel better."

Harry's first inclination was to decline it out of principle, but decided he'd be better off if he swallowed his pride and took it. "Thanks, Sirius." He downed the potion with a grimace. "I really wish those potions could taste better."

"I know, Harry. I wish I could make them better for you. Why don't you lie down some more? Today will be a very light day."

Harry's gaze immediately jumped to Ginny, still sound asleep on his bed, his cheeks heating again. "Er, in case you didn't know, my bed is already occupied."

Sirius' lips quirked with his amusement. "Opposed to sleeping next to Ginny? It's only sleep, Harry." His expression sobered. "I'll tell you the same thing I told her earlier. You tend to sleep better when she's near. I noticed that at Easter, and you proved it this morning." He motioned with his head. "Go. We have a little while longer before we have to check out of the room."

He really did want to go back to sleep, and since he didn't feel he had enough energy to make it to Ginny's empty bed, Harry returned to his own, gingerly lying down. He let out a little sigh once he was stretched out. Sleep claimed him quickly.

0000

Harry startled awake when a hand touched his shoulder. Sirius stood next to the bed. "Time to get up, I take it?"

"We have to check out in about an hour. Sorry, kiddo. I gave you as much time as I could."

"It's alright, Sirius. Once I'm up and moving, I'll be fine."

Sirius helped Harry to his feet, handing Harry his glasses. "I know. Take as long as you need."

Harry glanced over at Ginny, who had the mirror out, talking and laughing with someone. It was like watching a film with the sound muted. Though relieved she didn't experience the agonizing pain of transformations, he knew she still felt something. That thought had him turning away from her.

"Is she okay? You remember I told you that she hurts, too?" Thanks to him. Guilt swelled in his chest, squeezing his heart.

"Harry, don't even go there," Sirius softly admonished. "Yes, I can see the guilt on your face. No one blames you for what happened, least of all Ginny. She wouldn't want you to feel guilty about it."

"I changed her, Sirius. I may not have turned her, but I changed her."

"Yes, you did and you need to forgive yourself for it. You have to let it go, or it will eat you alive."

"How can I when it stares me in the face every time I look at her?"

Sirius' brows rose. "So, then, you're telling me that you only see the scars when you look at her? If that's the case, then why do you love her?"

Harry rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes tightly in frustration. "No, of course that's not all I see! She's beautiful! All that fiery hair and a temper to match. She's not afraid to smack me when I need it, but she also is loving, too, when I'm feeling bad. More often than not, just the touch of her hand makes me feel ten times better. I'm completely amazed that she can be so caring after what she went through during her first school year. She's so strong, I'm in awe of her."

Harry opened his eyes to see Sirius smiling at him. "And that, Harry, is what you need to focus on. She _is_ strong. So much so that, despite what happened _that_ night, her feelings for you deepened. That should tell you something."

Harry hung his head and sighed. "I know. I just hate the fact that I made her more like me."

"I know you do, kiddo, but it's done. It's in the past. It's time to move on."

Inhaling deeply, Harry straightened his shoulders, and lifted his head to meet his godfather's eyes. "You're right. I can't concentrate on the future if I keep looking in the past."

"Good. Now, go shower. I'll pack everything up."

0000

It was almost lunchtime when they checked out, so they had lunch, then went straight to the airport. Sirius turned in the car key to the rental car before they headed to their gate. Once they reached the gate, Harry slowed to put a little distance between Sirius and himself and Ginny. He pulled Ginny down into a pair of chairs on the opposite side of the row Sirius had chosen.

"Is something wrong, Harry? Something besides the obvious, I mean."

Harry sandwiched one of Ginny's hands between his, gaze locked on them. "How are you feeling, Ginny? I know you get sore, too, remember?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Harry. I never feel as badly as you do."

Harry still couldn't bring himself to look Ginny in the eyes. Shame and guilt heated his cheeks. "There's been such a fuss about how I'm doing that I never once asked about you. I feel awful for not having done so before now."

With her free hand, Ginny lifted his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Harry, I am okay. I swear it. Of course you didn't ask about me. You had enough to deal with just making it through each day. Believe me when I say, neglecting to ask how I was doing has no bearing on whether you're a good boyfriend or not." She smirked when his brows jumped in surprise. "You think I don't know what's running through your mind right now, Potter? Think again." Ginny leaned her forehead against Harry's. "Up to this point, all of your energy has been used to keeping yourself going. Naturally, you weren't able to think of anything else. So, no more worrying about it, okay?"

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. "You're too good to me." He placed a little kiss on the tip of her nose. "Thanks for that. _T_ _á_ _gr_ _á_ _agam duit._ "

Ginny smiled softly. " _I gc_ _ó_ _na_ _í_ _, gr_ _á_ _mo chro_ _í_."

Harry started to respond with another endearment, but ended up yawning instead. Ginny leaned back in her chair, then pulled his head down to her shoulder. "Rest for a bit."

Harry nodded and wearily made himself as comfortable as possible.

0000-Saturday, Aug 27

The traveling trio spent one night in Roanoke, Virginia, keeping close to the hotel for Harry's benefit, before flying out on Friday to Knoxville, Tennessee. Late afternoon on Friday, the three wandered Market Square, a double row of shops separated by a wide, neatly landscaped walkway. Mostly, they window-shopped, occasionally purchasing a small souvenir trinket. On Saturday, Sirius had the teens skip their normal workout routine, which left Harry almost dreading what Sirius had in mind for its replacement. Two and a half days had passed since the full moon, so Harry felt better, just not one hundred percent. Knowing Sirius, whatever he had in mind wouldn't be quick and easy—and Harry was right.

Sirius parked their rental car next to a giant beige metal and stucco building that was nearly as wide as it was long.

"What's a trampoline park?" Harry asked of his godfather as they climbed out of the car, having read the sign out front.

"Your workout," Sirius quipped with a grin. "It's a bunch of trampolines that you jump on. There's different sections for different ages. You can jump as high as you want, do flips, whatever. You have an hour to play around. This idea is fairly new, not many facilities like it. I suppose you could say it's before its time."

"And you found this place on that compute-thing?" Ginny asked.

"Computer," Sirius corrected. "And yes, I did. I suppose, now that we're getting closer to our final destination, I can mention my source of information." Leaning against the front of the car, Sirius explained how the internet and websites worked, mainly for Ginny's benefit. "Now, on the internet, there's this site called WizardsNet. It's mostly for pure-blood or half-blood wizards and witches who live in a magical home. Muggle-borns are already familiar with the internet and how to use it. WizardsNet is a source of information from all over the world. Type in a location and it will tell you where the local Ministry is, where to find the local Gringotts branch, what's available for entertainment, hotels, restaurants, how to use Muggle money, those kinds of things."

"Wow," Harry marveled, "I had no idea that existed." His brow furrowed in curiosity as he asked, "Why didn't you tell us this before when we asked how you knew where to go?"

"I was trying to keep the two of you in suspense, keep you guessing." Sirius shrugged. "I figured that if you knew about WizardsNet, you'd check the site out for yourself and see what we might be doing."

"Probably," Ginny agreed, grinning. "You do realize that now you're going to have to show us this."

Sirius nodded. "I know. I will as soon as I find a computer that will log onto the site."

"But what keeps the—" Harry paused while three teens passed by on their way to the door. "—Muggles from finding the site?"

Sirius looked up as if trying to decide how to explain the answer to Harry's question. "Okay, here's another quick course on the internet. Mean people are out there who try to break into secure sites and steal people's information. They also send out something called a virus that destroys information. Now, there's something called an anti-virus that can be put on a computer to help protect the computer. With me so far?"

"Er, kind of, I guess."

"A little, yes," Ginny affirmed somewhat uncertainly.

"Well, according to that anti-virus, WizardsNet isn't a safe sight, so it's blocked."

"So, only pure-bloods and half-bloods can use the site?" Ginny sounded a little irritated to Harry. "That hardly seems fair."

"I don't know much about the workings of computers, but I _think_ there's a way to force the anti-virus to accept the site as safe. I'm just not sure. It's not perfect, but it's better than not having anything at all."

Harry cheekily grinned at Ginny. "See? Your dad's not the only one interested in Muggles and Muggle practices."

Ginny's eyes lit up as she laughed. "Dad would love to hear about this. Too bad we couldn't find a way to make it work at home."

"I have no doubt that someone will, someday," Sirius predicted. "Perhaps, Hermione."

"Oh, yeah," Ginny agreed, nodding vigorously. "She could easily do it."

"Alright, well, let's get inside." Sirius pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. "Confirmation that I've already paid," he told the kids.

After Sirius' confirmation was checked, they were directed into a side room with cubbies to place their shoes inside. Next to them was a cavernous room with a short set of stairs leading up to the floor of many rectangular trampolines side-by side with neon-colored soft borders as the only things between them. Trampolines also curved up along one wall. On a far wall, away from the trampolines, was a rock climbing wall, the "rocks" also painted in neon colors.

"Alright, kiddos, have fun!"

"You're not joining us?" Harry asked, a smirk on his face.

"Nope. I'm too old for that kind of thing. The last thing we need is for me to hurt myself. No, you two go ahead."

Harry laughed. "You're not _that_ old, but whatever. Come on, Ginny."

0000

By the time the hour was up, Harry was groaning. It had been fun. He'd even managed a flip and landed on his feet, but _bloody hell,_ he hurt all over now. From the way Ginny walked beside him so stiffly, he could tell she wasn't feeling so nice, either.

"I was just beginning to feel better and you do this to me," Harry complained.

Sirius laughed as they pulled out of the car park. "I didn't do anything to you. No one said you had to keep moving the entire hour."

"Whatever," Harry mumbled, though he wasn't truly upset. Sliding down into his seat, he cast a freshening charm on himself and Ginny. "So, where to, now?"

"I have one more thing planned, but don't worry, it's all mental. As in, not a physical activity."

Harry exchanged intrigued glances with Ginny. "That sounds good right now."

Sirius chuckled. "I thought it might."

Some time later, they pulled up to a nice, brick building. Harry read the sign out front as he exited the back seat. "An escape room? Okay, now, what is that?"

"This is a mental game designed to test your creative thinking and problem-solving skills. It's my understanding that each place has their own scenarios. This one has two, a casino-based scenario or a professor who is looking for a protégé. We're doing the latter, gambling not being age-appropriate and all."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Since when did you care about what was age-appropriate?"

Sirius merely grinned. "I know. Odd, right? Anyway, what happens is you get locked in a room full of puzzles that you have to solve in order to find the way out."

"Er, Sirius, you do realize that none of us were or are Ravenclaws, right?" Ginny asked, pointing out the obvious.

"I know. That's what's going to make this so much more fun. Besides—and I hate to dampen

the mood—with the world getting Darker as the days go by, you never know when you might need to think creatively to get away from Death Eaters. Call it training in advance."

Harry looked to Ginny to get an idea of what she thought about the game only to find she was watching him. Her brows jumped, silently asking what _his_ thoughts were. He shrugged. "It certainly couldn't hurt. Sirius is right. You never know when thinking creatively might come in handy. Best stretch our brains a bit."

Ginny nodded her agreement. "I think so, too. Let's do it."

"Alright."

"That's the spirit," Sirius praised them.

0000

"So, what did you think?" Sirius asked as the three of them sat eating lunch.

Ginny paused eating, her fork just above her plate. "It was certainly different. I did like how the puzzles started out easy and became harder the closer you came to solving the ultimate puzzle to get out of the room."

Harry, nodding, finished his bite before he agreed with her. "Yeah, that certainly helped. The easier puzzles kind of warmed you up for the harder ones, made you change your way of thinking."

"So, fun, then?"

Harry nodded, having taken another bite of his lunch, while Ginny declared, "It was definitely fun." She, then giggled. "Hermione is going to be so jealous. Can you imagine the look on her face when we tell her about that place?"

Harry laughed, promptly choked, then managed to clear his airway. "Yeah, she'll look as if someone had told her she couldn't go back to school."

"Or, as if someone told her she had to sit in the library without touching a single book," Ginny joked, an obvious attempt at outdoing Harry's suggested scenario.

Sirius chuckled, though he tried to put on a stern face. "That's not very nice, you two."

Harry then shot back with, "But are we wrong?"

Sirius gave up his effort to not laugh. "No, you're far from wrong. That girl is brilliant, but she goes overboard sometimes."

"Don't get us wrong, Sirius, Harry and I love Hermione, but sometimes she _is_ a bit much."

"Yeah, she's definitely the one to go to if you need help finding information, but I don't think she's figured out yet that books don't hold all the answers, that some things you have to figure out for yourself."

"She will," Sirius reassured them. "I get the distinct impression that, when she was young, she turned to books to fill the void of loneliness she felt inside. Don't worry, though. She'll get there when she's supposed to get there. You can't rush those things."

Harry nodded, finishing the last bite of his pasta. "I know. I just hope it doesn't take something really huge to make her realize that, though."

"I do, too. Now, finish up, and we'll head down to our next stop."

"Which is?" Ginny asked, in hopes of getting an actual answer.

"Nashville," Sirius responded, grinning at the twin expressions of surprise across from him. "It's about a two and a half hour drive, so you can relax in the car, sleep or whatever." Sirius folded his hands on the table, looked pensive a moment, then added, "Or, we can drive straight through to Memphis. That drive is five and a half hours."

"What happened to not wanting anyone to be able to follow our trail?"

Sirius inhaled deeply. "Honestly, Harry, this constant motion is wearing me down, and I know it hasn't been easy on either of you, as well. I think we've moved about enough that it's highly unlikely we'd be found. You know, we could even skip the next _two_ destinations, if you'd like. I've been re-evaluating our schedule, and we'd be getting in very close to the start of term if we stayed on our schedule. If we skipped a couple of stops, there'd be more time to get used to your school first. We'd need to check flight availabilities, of course."

Ginny looked stunned, unable to speak for a moment. Then, her brow furrowed. "What about all that money you've already spent on hotels and activities for our next two stops?"

Sirius waved away her concern, apparently not in the least bothered. "It's only money, Ginny. I've more than enough to last several lifetimes. Trust me when I say, it's not going to hurt a bit to lose whatever I've put into those two stops."

Harry sat, unable to fathom the idea of skipping stops after so many days of being meticulously secretive. Being careful for the last fifteen days had become so ingrained, that it seemed foolish to start skipping around, now. However, he couldn't deny how nice it would feel to finally be at their new school and be able to relax, to lie around, not doing a single thing for several days.

Turning to ask Ginny what she thought about the whole thing, Harry found her watching him, brows raised in question. Though her expression gave nothing away, her eyes were bright with what he presumed to be excitement. She was likely all for the idea of getting their journey over and done with earlier than planned. That, more than anything else, helped Harry decide. He returned his attention to his godfather.

"Alright, Sirius, let's see if there's room on a flight out tonight, and skip the next two stops."

With a nod of acceptance, said, "I thought you might decide that. Let me pay for the meal, and we can go see about getting that flight."

0000

As it turned out, they were lucky. The travel agent Sirius had driven them to had been able to find a flight, but the seats weren't all together. Near the front of the First Class cabin were two seats, while the third was near the back. Sirius hadn't been overly fond of the separation, but Harry and Ginny had relished the idea of having a bit of "alone time," so Sirius went ahead and had purchased the tickets.

Now, it was four o'clock in the afternoon and they were in some place called Alexandria, Louisiana, a moderately-sized city that, Harry discovered by looking at their map, was in the heart of the state. The air was sticky and hot, and Harry immediately broke into a sweat just walking into their hotel. From what he could see of the surrounding area, the city moved at a slower pace than the other places they'd been, giving it more of a small town feel. It made for a nice change.

"Alright, first, some dinner," Sirius announced after re-sizing their luggage, "then, some fun."

"What are we doing?"

"I'm taking you to an arcade. There's a variety of games to play there. We'll need to use that charm again for your ears. Between the loud dings, music, voices and other sounds from the games, the lights that flash or spin, and the other people in there, it's enough to almost give a person with normal hearing a headache. We certainly don't want you to develop one."

"Do you mean games are _inside_ Muggle machines?" Ginny asked, somehow managing to appear both excited and perplexed.

"That's exactly what I mean." Sirius held up a hand and began ticking some off on his fingers. "There's racing games, fighting games, bowling-type games, rhythm games. You name it, it's probably out there."

"What's bowling?"

"Just wait." Sirius taunted, a Cheshire Cat grin on his face. "You'll see."

Harry caught Ginny's gaze and grinned. Sirius was practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Whatever it was they were about to do must be fun, indeed. Taking Ginny's hand, Harry motioned for Sirius to lead the way. While Sirius' back was turned, Harry took the opportunity to kiss Ginny, trying for quick but thorough. A loud throat-clearing told him he wasn't quick enough.

As Harry led Ginny toward the door, Harry cheekily quipped, "I'm not apologizing for that."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "I wasn't expecting you to."

0000

The arcade had been as horribly loud as Sirius had warned, but it had been fun. Using tokens converted from Muggle coins, Harry had lost track of how many games he'd played. He'd tried his hand at several racing games, and had done fairly well. He suspected it had something to do with the fact that all he had to do was steer and push a pedal. One of his two favorites had been an off-road racing game with huge bumps and rivers to cross, while the other had tracks with ramps that shot your car into the air and also had loops that let the cars defy gravity, if only momentarily.

Another type of game he seemed to have had a knack for had been the shooting type, with the plastic gun attached to the game by a cord. Whether it was shooting criminals or shooting aliens, it hadn't mattered. For a slower pace, Harry had tried a game in which he was supposed to shoot ducks. He had been really good until the ducks had begun flying erratically.

Harry had attempted one fighting game, but the controls were so complicated that he quickly gave up. After having watched some teens play another fighting game, Harry had decided that type wasn't for him and had wandered around. He'd found Ginny at a game, throwing balls into a hoop. He hadn't been surprised to see her do so well. She was a Chaser, after all—she knew how to score.

Having returned to their hotel room, Harry had been shocked to see they'd spent three hours playing games. So tired from the physical day, he fell onto his bed, ready to succumb to sleep, but Sirius pulled him back to his feet.

"Go change your clothes before you fall asleep. You'll feel better."

Harry glowered at him. "I'd feel better right now if you just let me sleep."

"Trust me, you'll want a good night's rest."

"Why?" Ginny asked from behind her duvet curtain. "What's happening tomorrow?"

"Well, I thought that, while it was cooler in the morning, we'd go on a trail ride."

In a flurry of motion, the duvet was shoved aside, and Ginny stood there, dressed in her night clothes and dressing gown, a look of pure hope on her face. "On horseback?"

Sirius grinned, obviously aware of Ginny's love of horses. "That's the plan."

Ginny let out a little squeak of excitement, a beaming smile matching the happiness shining in her eyes. "Thanks, Sirius!" She rushed over and wrapped Sirius in a hug that could rival her mother's. Letting go of Sirius, Ginny snogged Harry senseless.

When she let him go, Harry, thoroughly embarrassed about kissing Ginny in that manner in front of Sirius, managed to make his mouth work enough to stammer out, "Er, wh-what was that for?" He rushed to add, "Not that you have to have any particular reason for doing that."

Ginny continued to beam up at him as she said, "Because you must have told him I how much I love horses."

"Oh, er, yeah," Harry sheepishly replied, "I might have mentioned it once."

"Alright, now," Sirius interjected, his voice heavy with amusement, "it's after eight o'clock. It's been a busy day. Lights go out at nine o'clock. Harry, go change your clothes."

Ginny returned to her bed, disappearing behind the cloth divider. Harry watched her go. He couldn't help himself. She'd looked positively radiant at the idea of getting to ride some horses. And that kiss! He'd had to hold on for dear life—not that that had been a hardship or anything. All thought had come to a screeching halt, and when it was over, he'd been lucky to be able to put any coherent words together at all.

A hand landed on Harry's shoulder and turned him toward the loo. Clothes were deposited into his hands.

"Go," Sirius ordered with a laugh and playful shove.

Feeling prickling heat in his face, Harry refused to look up at Sirius, unable to meet the man's laughing gaze. Not that he regretted that kiss. He'd love to do it again. No, he just didn't want to hear Sirius' jokes that were likely to come. The idea of getting any mickey-taking from his godfather spurred Harry into action, practically jumping into the loo and quickly shutting the door.

0000—Sunday Aug 28

Ginny was in heaven! Black and white and brown and white pintos played with duns and chestnuts. Blacks gleamed in the early sunshine, while grays seemed to glow with their pure white coats. Palominos nibbled the green grass alongside black-spotted white horses known as leopards. Her hands itched to touch one of the world's most majestic animals. She had no favorite; they were all so beautiful.

She knew she probably looked silly, with her ear-to-ear grin and the way she couldn't quite keep from hopping as the three of them strode up to the barn. She knew she probably looked like a little child, something she'd fought against for the last couple of years but, at this moment in time, she really didn't care.

Whinnied greetings reached her ears, and the instant they stepped into the barn, Ginny inhaled deeply, the expected sweet smell of hay making her heart beat even faster as her excitement built. Twelve horses were already saddled and waited in a line for their riders, a variety of colors to choose from. As they waited for the rest of the riders to arrive, Sirius talked to one of the workers, then motioned for her to join him.

"Come say hi to the horses, Ginny," Sirius invited as the teens drew near.

Ginny took a deep breath and forced herself to be calm. "I can pet them?"

"Sure," the worker, a blonde girl not much older than Ginny, replied. She smiled at Harry. "Here, I'll introduce you."

Ginny may have been in heaven, but she wasn't blind. She glared at the girl's back as they walked over to the first horse in line. Feeling the need to, once again, stake her claim, Ginny snaked her arm around Harry's waist, making sure to slip her fingers into the closest belt loop and tucking her thumb into his waistband, something she'd never dared do before. Though she didn't look up at Harry, she could feel his surprise practically radiating from him.

"This is Black Jack," the girl said, patting the black horse on its neck, "named after a horse used in a funeral procession for one of our Presidents who was assassinated in 1963."

As the girl turned around, Ginny pasted a huge smile on her face, though her eyes dared the other girl to ignore her warning. Her smile hadn't been entirely disingenuous, though, as Harry had wrapped his own arm around her, mirroring her hand position. Ginny took great delight in the look of disappointment that flitted across the girl's face. But then, the girl edged closer to Harry and began talking directly to him. Honestly! What was wrong with these girls? Well, she knew, of course. It was Harry and those gorgeous eyes of his, and that wonderfully messy hair that often made her want to run her hands through it.

Feeling the tension in his muscles, Ginny stepped close to the horse, cutting in front of Harry as she did so, effectively putting herself between the blonde and Harry. Harry thanked her by taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. Ginny flashed him a genuine smile and a quick wink.

"So," Ginny said to the girl, putting out her free hand to the horse's muzzle, "this is Black Jack. Hello, boy. You're a handsome one."

"Yes, well, let's go meet the others, shall we?"

The less than friendly girl slid past Ginny and Harry—did she intentionally brush against him?—and continued on to a dun-colored horse. Ginny made sure to stay between Harry and this girl, who obviously was too dense to understand that Harry was taken.

"This is Cisco, named after St. Francis of Assisi, a patron saint of animals."

And so it went, down the line as the girl introduced each horse. Though Ginny ran interference between Harry and the blonde, that didn't stop the girl from trying to latch onto Harry, brushing past him when it was absolutely unnecessary or dragging him by his wrist to the next horse in line. The more she tried, the more Ginny's anger grew until she very nearly slapped the girl silly. The only thing that kept her from lashing out was the soothing comfort of Harry's hands running through her hair.

The girl pointed to her mount, a pretty bay mare. "I'm on Elsa." Then, looking at Harry, she pointed to the black and white paint horse to the left of hers. "You can ride Mingo. He and Elsa get along really well, and he's a trusty trail horse. He won't give you any problems."

"Er, thanks, but—"

"Gather around everyone," one of the trail guides called out. "We need to go over a few safety rules before we begin."

Once the rules were laid out and helmets were on, their guide let them choose which horse they wanted. By mutual, silent agreement, Harry and Ginny chose horses on the opposite end of the line to the annoying girl, Harry on Cisco and Ginny on a gray named Silver. Sirius rode directly behind them on a palomino whose name was Kaspar.

Once out on the trail, their guide called out various points of interest, various flowers, critters, and trees. In a few places, the trail was wide enough to let them ride two by two.

"So, is it better than you expected?" Harry asked Ginny, grinning as he rode up beside her.

Ginny's huge smile had returned and she turned it on Harry in response. "It's fantastic! I never thought I'd get to experience this." She twisted in her saddle as best she could. "Thanks, Sirius."

"You've already thanked me, Ginny. There's no need to do so again. There wasn't any need to thank me in the first place. I'm just glad you're enjoying yourself."

"I'm glad, too," Harry murmured.

Ginny turned back around to face Harry and saw his adorable, shy, little grin, the one that had a way of melting her heart every time she saw it. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to reach out and take his hand, perhaps kiss him softly, but she didn't dare try to bridge the gap between them. Their guide had told everyone that it was safer to keep a certain amount of distance between them at all times, citing possible stumbles from the horse or crossing paths with unfriendly creatures as instances that could be compounded by riding too close together. She just had to content herself with the thought that she could act on her impulse later.

"I know you're worried about me, Harry, about me wishing I was back home, despite what I've already told you. Yes, I do miss seeing Mum and Dad every day, and I'll likely be homesick for a bit, but I will never regret the choice I made."

Harry checked the path in front of them, making sure his horse was not about to run him into any trees or anything. "I know. I guess I can't help waiting for the other wand to drop, you know?" His voice had dropped to a whisper when he'd said the word 'wand' before returning to its normal volume. "For as long as I can remember, whenever things were going fairly well, something bad happened. I can't help thinking it's going to happen again."

A pang of sorrow bloomed in Ginny's chest, squeezing her heart and bringing tears to her eyes, tears she immediately dried by pretending to brush away some sweat with her arm. It hurt so much to hear the deep pain of betrayal that still laced his voice whenever he talked about his childhood. She couldn't fathom growing up only being able to trust one other person besides himself.

Realizing she'd been quiet too long, Ginny encouraged her horse closer to Harry's, regardless of safety. This was much more important. Reaching out, she covered his right hand with her left, drawing his attention from the trail back to her.

"Nothing bad is going to happen with us, I promise," Ginny assured him solemnly. "Whatever comes along, we'll face it together. Try to remember that."

The shadows left Harry's eyes and he smiled, switching the horse's reins into his other hand in order to clasp hers. "You're right. I told you that you were going to have to keep telling me that."

Ginny smiled, too. "And I told you I would. Gladly."

"It gets a little narrow up here," their guide informed the group. "Back to riding single file everyone."

'A little narrow' was an understatement. Between the tall shrubs lining the trail and the trees forming a woven canopy overhead, Ginny couldn't extend her arm without touching greenery, though it didn't make her feel closed-in at all. In fact, the botanical tunnel provided a cool break from the sun-heated air of the wider trail.

Ginny gasped as she entered the clearing. They'd ridden to a long riverbank. Thick green grass made a soft carpet. Their guide came around, helping everyone dismount and tie up the horses. Surprisingly, Ginny's legs wobbled under her, her inner thigh muscles aching.

"I didn't think riding a horse would be so taxing," Harry remarked, wincing slightly.

"Me neither."

Their guide drew the group together. "I thought you all might appreciate a little rest after abusing muscles that probably haven't been used in that fashion before. Feel free to look around, wade in the water, or stretch out on the ground. The grass is extra soft here. I only ask that you not disappear into the trees. It may not seem like it, but it's quite easy to get lost. For anyone who is thirsty, there's water in your saddle bags." He then proceeded to bare his feet to dip them into the river.

After removing their helmets and getting a drink, Harry and Ginny decided to find a cozy spot to lie down. Ginny moaned as she sprawled on the ground. "It feels good to lie down."

They were silent a few minutes before Harry tentatively asked, "Er, Ginny, I noticed you haven't worn any of that perfume you bought. I was just curious as to why. You seemed to really like it. I figured you'd have worn some by now."

"I love it, but I wanted to save it for special occasions." Ginny stuck one hand under her head and crossed her ankles. "I don't want to run out."

Ginny suddenly found her hand in Harry's. When she looked over, she saw he had mirrored her actions and was watching her with a small smile gracing his features. Contentment spread throughout her entire body. Moments like these, where they could relax and spend a little time together, had been few and far between on this trip, so they held a special place in her heart. Sirius gave them as much privacy as he could, and Ginny appreciated that, but it wasn't the same—not that they were alone now, either, but it was more than they'd had in some time. Even now, Sirius relaxed several feet away, letting them be for a bit.

Ginny closed her eyes, breathing deeply of the earthy scent that permeated the area. The rush of the water as it flowed downstream relaxed her, reminding her of the river at home. Birds twittered in the trees overhead. The lush grass made a comfortable bed, just like the grass under the big oak in the back garden. Farther down the bank, sighs and nickers from the horses punctuated the air.

"You do know that when you run out of that perfume, you can always get more. I'm sure we could find a way."

Ginny turned back to Harry and grinned. "Maybe use that site that Sirius told us about, yeah?"

Harry's smile widened. "Yeah, or maybe we can ask Hermione's parents to order it for you; we'd just give them the money."

"True." Ginny's brain caught up to the pronoun he'd used. She rolled onto her stomach, supporting herself on her arms. " _We?_ "

Harry also rolled onto his stomach, ending up nearly opposite of her. "I meant you, okay? I have no plans to pay for anything."

Ginny lowered her head to his. "Okay," she whispered.

When he angled his head the slightest bit, Ginny's pulse jumped, thinking he was about to kiss her, despite the fact that there were so many people around. Instead, he didn't move, his lips no more than a few millimeters from hers, and it was pure torture! She wanted to groan, to urge him closer. She did neither. What she _did_ do, however, was shift her position just enough to bring them the tiniest bit closer, hoping Harry would take the hint. She could tell by the shaky puffs of breath against her cheek that he _wanted_ to kiss her, but he still refused to act on it.

Well, fine. She'd take the initiative, then. She brushed his lips with the lightest of touches. Unfortunately, the mood was broken when a slight breeze kicked up, bringing with it some heated, but hushed, voices.

"Leave them alone, Lauren!" a masculine voice demanded.

"I'm just having a bit of fun." This voice was young and feminine. "You wouldn't be saying anything if the man they're with hadn't approached you."

"But they're not, and they're the ones who matter right now," the man said, addressing her first comment. "If the boy was single, I might, _might_ , be less upset with you, but you _have_ to see that he isn't. I don't know what your mother told you when she sent you here, but this is _my_ business, _my_ ranch, and you _will_ follow my rules. Is that understood?"

There was a huff of annoyance, and Ginny could guess that it had accompanied an eye roll. Defiance colored the girl's voice when she spoke. "Fine, I get it. I'll leave your precious customer alone."

"Good, now go prep the horses. We'll be leaving in a few minutes. I'll do a run-through just before we leave to make sure everything is properly done."

Ten feet away, the blonde girl who had been making a nuisance of herself stalked out of the trees toward the horses, followed at a short distance by the group's tour guide. Ginny wanted to smile in satisfaction. The girl had certainly deserved that telling-off. Now, she and Harry could really enjoy the rest of the ride. Looking to Harry, she was even happier to see that he didn't feel the least bit guilty, which, of course, he shouldn't.

"She deserved it."

Harry nodded, watching the girl a moment. "I know." His gaze left the girl, doing a quick search of the area, then nodded.

Ginny followed Harry's gaze to find Sirius was the recipient of Harry's nod of thanks. She smiled and mouthed her own thanks to the man, who smiled broadly and winked.

"Alright, everyone, it's time to mount up and return."

The return ride was better. Ginny didn't have that skin-crawling feeling of being watched, so she could truly relax. They caught glimpses of rabbits darting here and there. Deer bounded away from them in search of cover. It was one peculiar creature, though, that didn't seem to mind their presence as it calmly ambled along in a bumbling gait down the other side of the trail. It was low to the ground, had a bit of a snout, a hunched, armored back, and a long tail. It looked to Ginny as if someone had done a Transfiguration Charm on it and hadn't fully succeeded.

Ginny exchanged curious glances with Harry before calling up to their guide. "What is that?"

"What, that?" the man asked, pointing at the creature in question. "Oh, I don't suppose you have those in England. That's an armadillo. There's so many of them, they've become a menace. You see, they roll up into a ball when threatened, so that their armored backs protect them, making it harder for predators to kill them. They can carry diseases, too."

"It's not exactly the most graceful of creatures, is it?" Harry asked, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Oh, don't let it fool you. It can move really quickly if it wants to."

Ginny, looking skeptical, turned to Harry, who had been riding beside her, and whispered, "Is he having us on? I don't see how it's possible a creature that awkward-looking could move very fast."

"I don't know, but this is his land. He should know."

"I guess that's true enough."

Five minutes later, they re-entered the barn. After dismounting, Ginny patted her horse's neck. "Thank you," she whispered to him. "That was very fun. I'll never forget you."

Ginny walked between Sirius on her left and Harry to her right, passing the girl, Lauren, as she groomed one of the horses, when Harry cried out in pain, collapsing and holding his leg just above his knee.

"Harry!" she yelled, suddenly scared, and knelt beside him.

"What is it? What happened?" Sirius frantically asked, dropping to his knees on Harry's other side, Sirius' hands roaming over him without really touching him.

"Horse," Harry panted, grimacing. As others crowded around them, he managed one more word. "Kicked."

"Someone call 911!" the man who had led the trail ride called out. "I'm really sorry. None of my horses normally kick. Let's get him to a bench where he'll be more careful."

Sirius wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, then positioned his other arm under Harry's leg. The man did the same on Harry's other side. Ginny watched, helplessly, tears in her eyes, as the two men lifted Harry, wringing another yelp of pain from him, and set him on a nearby bench, his injured leg out straight.

"No ambulance," Sirius declared with finality. "We can get him there ourselves."

"Let the ambulance come. It'll be much quicker and they can give him something for the pain."

"No. Just help me get him into the back seat of my car."

The man must have realized he wasn't going to win the argument because he promptly nodded. "Alright. It's your choice." To Harry, he said, "Good luck, son. Again, I'm really sorry about this. I don't know what happened to make that horse kick like that."

Ginny could see Harry was in tremendous pain. Sweat ran down his face, his jaw clenched tight. In fact, every muscle in his body had seized up. He barely even breathed. Not knowing what else to do, Ginny sat behind him and gently massaged Harry's back.

"I think I know what happened," another ranch hand announced, joining them. "Lauren was using the curry comb on the palomino."

"What? She knows better than that! That horse never took to the curry comb. Don't let her go anywhere until I've had a chance to talk to that girl." He turned back to Sirius. "Shall we?"

"Alright, Harry, we're going to take you out to the car. It's going to hurt until we get you settled. Are you ready?"

At some point, Sirius had asked someone to bring the car to the open barn, a back door wide open and waiting. Ginny looked back to Harry in time to see him gulp before shakily nodding that he was ready. Once again, an agonized scream tore from Harry's throat as he was lifted. Several tense minutes passed before Harry was as comfortable as he could be on the bench seat.

Ginny scrambled into the front seat, throwing on her seat belt as Sirius climbed behind the wheel, then launched them forward like a cannonball. Harry hissed and moaned at the sudden movement.

"Sorry, Harry," Sirius threw over his shoulder. "I promise, as soon as we get to a good spot, I'll pull over and help you out."

"You can heal his leg? You know how?"

"No, but I can at least stabilize it." Ginny opened her mouth to ask another question, but Sirius interrupted her. "And yes, I do know where a Wizarding hospital is around here."

Within a few minutes, Sirius pulled over, took out his wand and applied a splint to Harry's leg. "There. That should help a bit. It won't take but a few more minutes before we get to the hospital."

True to Sirius' word, only five minutes later, they pulled onto a paved drive that curved between a nicely manicured lawn to a moderately-sized, three-columned, two-story building. The sign out front said: St. Expédit Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Sirius stopped the car at the front door, parked it, then went around to the door Harry rested against.

"Ginny, go inside and get a Healer!"

She hesitated for only a moment before running up the few steps that led to the door. Bursting into the atrium, she found it was a waiting room with seats along two walls, a closed-off receptionist's office, and two doors that led elsewhere. Ginny rushed over to the receptionist and rapped on the dividing glass to get the witch's attention.

"Can I help you?"

"We need a Healer. My boyfriend was kicked by a horse."

The witch looked around. "Where is he?"

"He's outside. His godfather is helping him out of the car. He needs help."

"His guardian needs to fill out this form first." The witch presented a clipboard with several sheets of paper attached. "He cannot be seen until then."

Temper threatening to get the better of her, Ginny yanked the clipboard from the witch's hand. "Why can't he be seen while this is filled out?" She threw her arm behind her, indicating the empty room. "It's not as if you're busy! _His leg is broken!_ _He's hurting!_ "

The witch glared at Ginny, nostrils flaring. "There are policies that need to be followed. Maybe things are different where you come from, but here, we follow the rules."

"What's going on here?" a middle-aged man wearing Healer's garb asked as he entered the office from another door. Ginny repeated what she'd told the receptionist. The man frowned in concern. "Horse kicks are nothing to play around with. Where's this young man?"

Grateful someone was taking the situation seriously, Ginny led the Healer out the main door. Sirius, by this time, had Harry out of the car and was trying to get him up the steps. The Healer ran to help. Between the two of them, they reached the door quickly, and Ginny held it open for them. The Healer didn't stop in the waiting room, but continued on through another door, directing Ginny to open it for them. They took Harry straight to a room where they gently set him down on a bed.

The Healer waved his wand, releasing the splint. He looked up at Sirius. "Your work?" Sirius nodded. "Good job. That helped keep the bone from moving too far and doing more damage." He turned back to Harry. "You're one lucky young man. A little lower, and your entire patella would have to be reconstructed. As it is, it only cracked with the force of the break of your femur."

Ginny chewed her thumbnail as she waited for the Healer's prognosis. She knew Harry would be fine, but how long would he be in pain while the bone healed? He already looked so pale lying in the bed, sweat dampening his fringe, face contorting every time his leg moved just a fraction.

The Healer finished waving his wand—Ginny had no clue what else he was looking for—then asked, "Allergic to any potions?" Sirius shook his head. "Good. A little Skele-Gro will fix things right up. In an hour, you'll be walking out of here."

A matron brought in a large bottle and a goblet. The Healer measured out some, then handed the goblet to Harry. "Drink that. I apologize in advance for the taste."

As Harry drank the potion, the Healer waved his wand over Harry again, stopping at Harry's forehead. "Peculiar scar you have there. Some powerful magic was done to you."

"How do you know?" Sirius asked guardedly.

"There's a magical signature there. It's faint, like the scar, but it's there."

"Then, how do you know it was powerful magic?"

The Healer smiled kindly at the three of them. "Unlike most of my countrymen, I pay close attention to what goes on in the world. I was very much aware of the war you found yourselves in thirteen years ago." He eyed Harry closely. "I'm also well aware of how that war ended—Mr. Potter." The corners of the man's eyes crinkled in amusement at Harry's expression of shock. He turned to Sirius. "Don't worry about that paperwork. I'll take care of it. Well, I'll be back in an hour to check on you."

Once they were alone, Ginny sat on the left side of the bed. "Any better at all?" she asked Harry anxiously.

"Some." Harry sighed in frustration. "Even here, I'm recognized. Will I ever be able to get away from that?"

Sirius chuckled. "Probably not, kiddo."

Ginny giggled. "You sure have a knack for finding trouble, don't you?"

Harry looked at her sourly. "I don't _look_ for it." His scowl relaxed into a sheepish grin. "It just sort of finds me." 


	9. Opportunities Held

**_Change is the end of something you know and the beginning of something else that you don't know. Something new that holds opportunities.  
― Kholoud Yasser_ **

The remainder of the day went well, though Harry walked with a slight limp for another hour after they left the hospital. Feeling a bit drowsy from the Skele-Gro, he dozed as Sirius drove them to a safari park where, according to Sirius, animals roamed free, coming right up to the park vehicles to be fed. Harry awoke with a start as Sirius parked their car.

Armed with buckets the size of their school cauldrons filled with feed, the three joined a group waiting to go. The vehicle they were to ride in was a bus with two long openings where windows normally would be were cut into each side. Two lengthy rows of seats were placed back to back and faced the sides. Thankfully, the top had remained to keep the sun from beating down on them. The bus parked in front of the group and Harry, Ginny, and Sirius climbed aboard, sitting facing the right side. Ginny fidgeted excitedly.

Before long, the seats filled and the engine started. Within minutes, deer bounded up, looking for a handout. Everyone _oohed_ and _ahhed_. Ostriches and emus ran up to their vehicle, ducked their heads under the canopy, and pecked feed right out of their buckets. One ostrich pecked a person's cap right off his head!

"Now _that's_ a big bird," Sirius stated, shaking his head in disbelief.

Harry snorted. "And Malfoy thought Buckbeak was a giant chicken. Imagine what he'd say now."

Ginny giggled. "He'd tell his father about it, of course."

The two teens burst out laughing at their accurate portrayal of their Hogwarts nemesis. Sirius chuckled along with them. As their vehicle moved on, the ostriches followed, stretching out their slender necks and flapping their wings, apparently not wanting to give up their free meal, causing Ginny to laugh so hard she had tears running down her cheeks. Harry laughed at the birds' antics, but he laughed even harder at Ginny's reaction.

Despite the fact that the giant birds could run fast, they gave up fairly quickly. Harry figured they just didn't want to work so hard for their food. Dromedary camels, llamas, alpacas, and various exotic bovine species came along next. A loud disgusted shout sounded from down the row. Looking to see what was the matter, he saw a man in the other row wiping his face, a camel sniffing around the feed buckets being held by the people next to the man.

"I've heard they spit," Sirius commented, "but I've always thought it was a myth. Well, at least it wasn't me this time."

Harry snickered, remembering Sirius' unfortunate incidents at the Aviary they had visited in Pittsburgh. Still grinning, he cheekily said, "The day's not over yet."

Harry's statement turned out to be slightly prophetic. Something _did_ happen later. After zebras, gazelles, antelope and horses, giraffes were the last animals they saw, and the long-necked creatures weren't shy about looking for food. One particular animal seemed to be overly interested in Ginny, sniffing her hair and face. Then, it opened its mouth and licked her with its long gray-black tongue.

"Oh!" Ginny squealed, swiping at her face and sputtering. "That's so … so … _ew!_ "

Harry couldn't hold back his laughter. "It likes you, Ginny! You've an admirer! Do I need to be concerned?"

"Shut it, you git!" Ginny replied, laughing.

After several minutes of dodging the giraffe's tongue—which was nearly impossible—Ginny was thankful when the bus moved on, leaving the giraffe behind as it chose not to follow. Gazing at Ginny, Harry could empathize with that giraffe's fascination. He, too, was drawn to her. He practically obsessed over her hair with its various shades of red. Many times he itched to run his hand through it, just to feel its silkiness, but he curbed that impulse, fearing that, if he gave in to it too often, it would become tiresome to Ginny, though he was more worried about how playing with her hair could become more of a need for him, that he wouldn't be able to function without touching it. That could be disastrous for someone who had a destiny to fulfill involving an evil wizard bent on domination.

Then, there was Ginny's scent. Underneath that ever-present floral fragrance, there was something else, something he couldn't identify specifically but screamed the words _happiness, love, home_. From what he'd read at the science museum, memories and emotions were often linked with certain smells. Maybe his brain recognized something about Ginny that reminded him, subconsciously, of his time with his parents. That wasn't to say that he hadn't had those three things with Uncle Remus, but there was just something extra special about that year and a half he'd had with his mum and dad. Regardless of the reason, he felt at peace with Ginny, and he wouldn't change a thing about his life as long as Ginny was in it, even if changing his life meant having his parents back or not being a werewolf but not having Ginny. She was his beacon of light in the murkiness that was his life. He _needed_ her and he wouldn't give her up for anything—not anymore.

Of course, her personality was what attracted him the most. She could be soft and gentle one moment, and stubborn and fiery the next. She was independent, but not to the extent that she refused help. She had a wicked sense of humor that perfectly matched his own. She was highly intelligent as was proven by her marks in school, despite having to play catch-up for what she'd missed. Harry didn't doubt for a second that Ginny spent a part of the previous summer trying to catch up on what she'd missed her first year. But most of all, she was strong. She hadn't let her brush with Voldemort weigh her down. She'd fought back to regain her sense of self. When he thought about what it must have taken to accomplish that, Harry could only shake his head in awe. He wasn't certain he had that kind of strength.

Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, "I can certainly empathize with that giraffe. I'm just as captivated by you as it was."

Straightening, he noted with amusement the color staining Ginny's cheeks, though she beamed up at him, a smile he was certain he'd never tire of seeing. The bus rumbled to a stop at the main gate, drawing Harry's attention away from his wonderful girlfriend. Slowly, everyone exited through the back. After having sat for the past hour, it felt good to stand and stretch, and Harry took full advantage of the opportunity.

"How's your leg?" Sirius asked, watching Harry somewhat anxiously.

Harry shrugged. "It's fine, not even the least bit sore. I swear."

Sirius nodded. "Good. Not that I doubted the quality of medical care you received, really. It's just not knowing them, well, I had worried."

Harry fought the impulse to roll his eyes at Sirius' concern, regardless of the fact that he appreciated it. "Well, don't. I'm perfectly fine." He faced Ginny, looked into her perceptive gaze and added, "Honestly."

After a moment, Ginny nodded to Sirius and said with a grin, "He's fine."

Sirius chuckled, shaking his head. "Lily could do that, too. She always knew when James wasn't being truthful. It frustrated James completely. She never would say how it was she could tell."

Ginny snorted. "Of course she didn't. Why would she reveal something like that and lose such an accurate tool?"

Sirius barked out a laugh. "Why, indeed? Come on. Ready for our next destination?"

"Sure, but can we eat first? I'm starved."

Sirius consulted his watch. "It's closing in on noon, so there's plenty of time to stop before we have to be at the airport."

"Where are we going to next?" Ginny asked as they returned to their car.

Sirius grinned. "We're taking another trip to the ocean. This time, it might be more like what you imagined."

"Really?" Ginny squealed in excitement. "Are we going to get to play in the water, or are we taking another tour?"

With a laugh, Sirius promised, "No tours. You can play as long as you like. Also, this will be our last stop before arriving at the school."

Harry noted that Ginny's excitement dampened slightly, and he wondered about it. The news that they were nearing the end of their journey invoked mixed reactions inside. While he was eager to see where they would be for the next ten months, the thought that he wouldn't be in such close proximity to Ginny all the time made his chest ache a bit. Knowing she was within reach whenever he felt the need to reach out to her was a huge comfort. Harry thought, perhaps, he had come to rely on her presence, so maybe it was best that they'd nearly reached the end of the trip.

Injecting cheer into his voice, he forced himself to smile. "I can't wait to see the school. I wonder how different it'll be from Hogwarts. It'll be nice to have a few days to relax before the term starts."

"You think there'll be house-elves?" Ginny asked once they were back on the road, heading for a restaurant.

"There would have to be, wouldn't there? I mean, there'll be a lot of students. That's a lot of cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Not to mention grounds-keeping."

"True. What do you think the professors will be like? I hope the Potions professor is better than Snape. I'd really like to understand the reasons for stirring a certain way or chopping things a certain size."

Harry snorted. "Can't be any worse than Snape, so whoever is teaching is bound to be better."

The teens discussed aspects of the school they were interested in the entire drive to the restaurant, with Sirius adding a vague comment periodically. After lunch, it was off to the airport. Before too long, they were back in the air heading southeast to Gulfport, Mississippi.

0000

About an hour and a half later, the plane had landed and they were checking into their last hotel, which happened to be close to the airport. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. The air outside was hot and sticky. He'd already wiped sweat out of his eyes twice, and his shirt felt as if it was clinging to him. Pinching it, he pulled it away from his body, hoping to get some air flow underneath it. The nice thing he could say about the air here was the saline smell. It was somehow comforting and exotic at the same time. Though the air in Virginia had a similar scent, it hadn't invoked the same feelings. Harry could only guess why that was. Perhaps it had been due to the full moon, and he'd been anxious over that. Perhaps it was just knowing that this was their last stop. Regardless of the reason, Harry felt relaxed here.

Beside him, Ginny moaned and pulled her braided hair to the top of her head and held it there. "I can't wait to get into the water. It has to be an improvement over this stickiness."

"Agreed."

Once they'd found their room and changed into their swimming costumes, Sirius drove them to a white sand beach. There, they spent the next few hours, Harry and Ginny building sand castles, partially burying Sirius in the sand, splashing in the water, and generally acting like the young teens they were. Harry immensely enjoyed not fearing he'd be recognized. The freedom that allowed was something he knew he'd never forget.

When they tired of playing, Harry coaxed Sirius into letting him and Ginny walk down the beach a little, staying within eyesight. The two walked hand in hand, delighting in being "alone" together. As they walked, they spied a few seashells that had somehow been overlooked and a few colorful pieces of what Harry understood to be called sea glass, bits of glass from human trash that had been tumbled by the ocean into frosted, smooth-edged bits. He'd first heard of sea glass in Virginia, but they hadn't found any then. Harry pocketed what they chose to keep.

"It's hard to believe that this almost over," Harry commented offhandedly. "I've had such a fun time."

"I know," Ginny agreed, squeezing Harry's hand. "It seems like we just started out yesterday. I'm excited to see the new school and all, but I'm a little sad to see this end, too. Everything we've done has been absolutely brilliant. I've seen more things, experienced more things, than I ever thought I would." She stopped walking and faced Harry, taking his other hand in hers as well. "I've sort of become accustomed to having you around all the time, sleeping not far from me, that it'll be a bit difficult to readjust."

Harry released one of Ginny's hands to cup her face. "I know how you feel. I'm going to miss having you so close, but it's probably for the best. Sleeping in the same room probably isn't the greatest of habits to form. I mean, Sirius would probably laugh over it, but your Mum wouldn't stand for it."

"I know," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes. "She can be completely unreasonable sometimes with her double-standards. It's okay for boys to play Quidditch, but a girl should never be so physical. It's okay for boys to date as many girls as they want and have fun, but a girl shouldn't out of fear of being called a tart or worse. She's so frustrating sometimes."

Harry grinned, knowing this was old territory as Ginny had complained about her mum before. "She's just doing what mums do. She just wants what's best for you."

Ginny sighed. "I know, but she needs to realize that what she thinks is best for me is just that—what _she_ thinks is best. She needs to understand that what she wanted out of life isn't exactly the same as what I want. I want a career. I want to do things. I don't want to spend the entirety of my adult life at home raising kids. I just want more out of life."

"And you'll get it. You'll fight for what you want, and you'll get it all." Harry's grin faded as he grew serious. "I should know. You fought for me."

"I'll fight for anything I deem important enough to have."

Nothing else needed to be said between them. Glancing around, Harry suddenly led Ginny toward a loo. On the far side of the building, where there were fewer people to see them, he pulled her close and gave in to the fierce urge to kiss her that had swept through him at her declaration. Was it the best place for a snog session? No, but it was all they had.

Long minutes later, Harry stepped back, silently calling a halt to their activity. "We should go before Sirius comes looking for us."

Ginny nodded. "You're right."

She looked as enthused as he felt, which was to say, not very, prompting him to kiss her again, this time quickly. Rounding the corner of the building, Harry immediately spotted Sirius walking in their direction, towels draped over one shoulder, their beach bag slung over his other shoulder. At first, Harry couldn't tell whether he and Ginny were in any trouble, but then Sirius grinned knowingly, and Harry relaxed.

"Oh, good, I'm not going to have to toss you both in the ocean to cool off," Sirius joked once he'd reached them. "Saw you disappear around the building and thought I'd better do my godfatherly duty and make sure nothing went too far. Not that I honestly thought it would, but I had to be sure." Harry scowled a bit, eliciting a bark of laughter from Sirius. "Hey, I had to be able to look Molly in the eye and be able to say that I was the perfect chaperone."

"Actually, you have been," Ginny piped up, smiling. "You've given us privacy when you could. That's more than I expected, so feel free to tell Mum that I said you were perfect. In fact, I'll tell her myself."

"Why, thank you, Ginny. Now, anyone hungry?"

0000

That night, Ginny lay in bed, unable to sleep, her mind busily questioning what the new school would be like. On the other side of the barrier, she heard Harry sigh in frustration and restlessly move around in his own bed. It seemed she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep. After listening to him toss and turn and let out another irritated huff, she decided to speak up.

"Can't sleep, either?" she called softly, obviously not wanting to wake the room's only sleeping occupant.

"Ginny? You can't sleep? I should be exhausted after the day we had, but I'm too wound up. Every time I close my eyes, my brain tosses out another question to ponder regarding this school. I can't seem to shut it off."

Ginny smiled ruefully. "I know how you feel. I'm having that same problem." A thought popped into her head, but she wasn't sure she was daring enough to ask.

"Nice to know I'm not the only one, but I'm also sorry that you can't sleep," Harry replied.

Deciding having been a Gryffindor for two years meant something, Ginny gathered her courage and asked hesitantly, "Er, Harry, can I come over there? Maybe we can talk out our questions and eventually be able to sleep. We'd be less likely to wake Sirius, too."

Silence stretched out and Ginny regretted having asked. She was about to tell him to forget it when he said, "Sure, okay."

"Are you sure?" He didn't sound very certain.

"Positive," came Harry's reply with conviction.

"Alright."

As she climbed from her bed, she heard him rustling around, albeit quietly. Stepping around the duvet Sirius had hung for her, she noted in the weak light from the bedside clock that Harry had scooted to the opposite side of the bed, making room for her, and propping his back against the headboard. Heat burned in her cheeks and Ginny was glad for the darkness. She hadn't thought her idea through. Sharing Harry's bed, despite the fact that it was just to talk, seemed incredibly intimate, especially when he pulled back the bedclothes on her side. Forcing herself to not make such a big deal out of it, Ginny climbed in beside Harry and covered up.

After a moment, Harry asked, "What's one of the questions you have running around in your head?"

"I'm wondering how big the school is. Will there be Houses like at Hogwarts? To be honest, I'm not sure if I want there to be or not."

"Why is that?"

Ginny gathered her thoughts before trying to explain. "In a way, I'd feel disloyal to Gryffindor, as silly as that sounds, but I think it has more to do with me wondering if Hogwarts should even Sort students, or maybe if they should at least wait until fourth or fifth year. I mean, people change as they grow up. What we think is important at age eleven isn't necessarily what we think is important at age fifteen."

"That's certainly true, but do you think a person can change that much? Don't you think a person's core beliefs would remain the same?"

"I don't know, but how fair is it to be put in a House where you're constantly belittled, or where your Housemates steal your things? Why should someone be forced to live in that kind of environment?" Ginny could feel his eyes on her, but she continued to stare at her lap.

"Are you talking about something you experienced or someone you know?"

"Not me, but someone I used to be fairly good friends with. We've grown apart now, but I know how her Housemates treat her. It's terrible. She acts like she doesn't care, and maybe she doesn't, but it certainly doesn't seem right, to have to endure that."

"No, I suppose it doesn't."

"So, anyway," Ginny changed the subject before their conversation grew too solemn. "What's worrying you about the new school?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess one of things I can't help worrying about is how people will react when they find out what I am. I'm certain they'll figure it out, or at least some will and then spread it around. Will they treat me like an outcast, or will they like me anyway?"

Ginny spent several minutes contemplating Harry's concern. Coming to a conclusion, she shared it with him. "I think they'll be different than those at home. I don't think Sirius would take us there if they weren't going to treat you nicely. I think we should rely on Sirius' judgment. He hand-picked the place for a reason."

"True. I suppose I shouldn't judge them before I know them, and I know Sirius wouldn't intentionally take us somewhere awful. Thanks. I actually feel a little less apprehensive about that, now."

A bubble of pride burst in Ginny's chest at being able to relieve Harry's fear. She felt like jumping for joy, but instead, told herself to calm down and replied with, "I just pointed out what you already knew, Harry."

Harry wrapped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "Maybe so, but you helped me realize that I knew it. I might have been up all night worrying otherwise. So, thank you."

"You're welcome." Harry asked her what other thing she worried about in regards to the school. "I suppose the curriculum. What if they don't teach the same things? Or what if they're way ahead of Hogwarts? I don't want to be demoted because I'm not far enough along."

"That, I don't think you have to worry about. You're smart, and you've picked up quite a bit from working with me during the summer, some of which were advanced spells. I think you'll be just fine. Just know that, if you do have trouble, I'll help you."

"You're going to be busy with your own work." A little anxiety crept into her voice.

"I'm never going to be too busy for you, Ginny. I promise you that. If you need my help with something, just ask. Promise me. Promise me that you'll ask for help when you need it, regardless if it's from me or from someone else."

Ginny ducked her head. He knew her too well. "Yeah, alright. I promise."

The two of them chatted in hushed voices until well after midnight, even after Ginny had dropped her head to rest on Harry's shoulder. They continued talking even though they grew drowsy. Harry simply slid farther down into the bed so that they were lying down more than they were sitting up. At some point, they gave up on the conversation altogether.

Completely reclining, now, Ginny had the notion that she should probably go back to her own bed, but lying as she was, with her head tucked into Harry's neck and resting on his shoulder, his arm around her, drawing her into his side, her own arm draped across his stomach, she was incredibly comfortable and didn't have the energy to move. She tried to keep her eyes open until she felt Harry's grip on her slacken some and his breathing deepen. Knowing Harry had fallen asleep, Ginny quit fighting her own weariness and let it overtake her.

0000

Swimming in that state of consciousness between slumber and wakefulness, Ginny became aware of a few things. The first thing that registered in her mind was how warm she felt, much warmer than usual. With each inhale, a woodsy, musky scent brought to mind forests at night, though why at night, she wasn't certain. It was a very pleasant scent, and she burrowed closer to its source. Rhythmic movement against her chest pulled her to full consciousness. Instantly, her face heated in total embarrassment, though if she were honest with herself, she rather enjoyed being where she was. Oh, Merlin! How did she manage to get herself into these embarrassing situations? All she could remember was talking with Harry about their fears regarding the new school. Sometime in the night, she and Harry must have fallen asleep. Now, they were lying chest to chest, her head tucked under his chin, an arm around each other, and one of her feet rested cozily between his.

How was she going to move without waking Harry? Worse, how was she going to slide back into her own bed without Sirius knowing where she'd spent the night? She heard someone exit the loo. Bloody hell, Sirius was already up. Surely, he'd noticed them by now, so why hadn't he said anything? Was he waiting until both she and Harry were awake to explain themselves? Was he working up to a full temper so that he could yell at them like her mum would have done? She didn't think so. Sirius didn't seem to be the yelling type, but one never knew. Sleeping in Harry's bed was a serious breach of etiquette, propriety, and trust. If anything would make Sirius yell, surely this would be it. Footsteps drew close, and Ginny quickly feigned sleep, unwilling to see Sirius' expression.

A quick exhalation of air sounded over Harry, and Ginny internally braced herself for the yelling to start, so she was quite unprepared for the chuckle she heard.

"Alright, sleepyheads, time to get up. I realize you're warm and comfortable, but we need to be moving on if we want to get to New Orleans this morning."

Harry tensed, signaling to Ginny that he had completely awakened and was quite aware of her presence. His Adam's apple bobbed and heat rose in his neck, presumably in a spectacular blush. What should she do? Should she apologize profusely, even though she wasn't truly sorry? Or should she play it off as if she and Harry sharing his bed was a normal, everyday occurrence? Harry cleared his throat, and Ginny was glad he still retained his power of speech because she certainly hadn't.

"Yes?" Sirius asked, expectantly, drawing out the word. When Harry remained silent, he added, amusement coloring his voice, "Something you wanted to say, Harry?"

"This, er, this isn't what it looks like."

"Oh? You and Ginny were doing something other than sleeping? Because sleeping is what it looked like to me."

More heat radiated from Harry, and Ginny could guess his blush had intensified, just as hers had at Sirius' suggestion. At least he hadn't moved away from her yet. Or was it that he was so embarrassed that he didn't want to look at her?

"Well, er," Harry stammered, "I-I guess it _is_ what it looks like, then, because that's all it is, er, was. We were talking about the school, wondering how different it was from Hogwarts. We must have fallen asleep. Nothing happened. I swear."

Sirius sighed, and Ginny thought he sounded a bit exasperated. "Harry, I'm well aware that nothing happened last night other than sleeping. In my dog form, I have rather good hearing, remember? I would have known the second something other than sleeping was going on. Look, I'm not going to waste time on a lecture. There would be no point as last night was an accidental occurrence. Now, if you want to get to see your school this morning, I suggest you let each other go and get around. I'm going to go brush my teeth. If you're smart, you'll be up by the time I'm done."

Once the door closed, Ginny steeled herself, then drew her arm from around Harry and scooted away from him enough to meet his gaze. Though his face still had a lot of color, he didn't dodge her eyes. A sheepish grin curled the corners of his mouth. He, then, winced and rubbed at the arm that she'd been lying on. Ginny instantly sat up.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be. It's just fallen asleep." Harry did look away from her, then, but only for a moment. "I, er, liked, you know, having you with me, er, sleeping."

With the color he was now achieving, Harry definitely could pass as a Weasley relative, albeit a dark-haired one. Lucky for him, she thought it was adorable. Leaning down, she quickly kissed him. "I did, too. Now, let's get around. I'm suddenly anxious to see this school."

Harry grinned. "Me, too."

Harry let Ginny have the shower before him, so she rushed through it, washing her hair as quickly as she could and still do a thorough job. After wand-drying her hair, she brushed it until it shone, dressed, brushed her teeth, then let Harry have the loo. Once her things were packed, Ginny pulled out the two perfume bottles she'd bought in Philadelphia. Harry was right. She'd bought them to wear them, and there was no better day than on the day she first saw the school she'd be attending for the upcoming year. Which should she wear, though? That was the question. The first one she'd tried and really liked? Or the second one which was nearly as nice? An idea on how to choose popped into her head.

"Sirius, can you help me for a second?" Ginny walked over to where he was sitting, holding one bottle in each of her hands. "I need you to help me choose which to wear today. Take these and hide them behind your back, switch hands a few times so that I won't have a clue which one is in which hand. I'll pick a hand, and whichever bottle is in that hand will be the perfume I wear."

"Alright." Sirius took the bottles and began switching them behind his back, the delicate clink of the glass bottles testifying to the fact that he was, indeed, moving them. After a few moments, he stopped. "Pick a hand, Ginny."

Randomly, Ginny tapped Sirius' right shoulder. "That one." Sirius handed over the bottle. It was the second perfume she'd tried that day. Smiling, she took back the other bottle, as well. "Thanks."

"Glad I could help."

Ginny stuffed the first perfume back into her suitcase, then opened the bottle of the second, giving it a quick sniff. Its citrus-y, floral fragrance enveloped her like a sweet hug. But wait, there was something else in there, too, something she hadn't noticed before. It was … earthy? No, that didn't seem right. She took another sniff. It was as if the equivalent of a Muggle light bulb lit up as she realized what it was she was smelling. That little extra scent reminded her of Harry. She'd smelled it on him when they were cuddled up together. Why had she not noticed the added scent before? For that matter, why had she not ever noticed Harry had a scent? Thinking back on the familiarity she'd felt when she'd smelled his skin, she realized that she actually _had_ noticed his scent, it had just been subtle before, so much so that her subconscious mind had picked it up.

Okay, so why had it been so much stronger this morning? They'd been that close before. Harry stepping out of the loo, hair wet from his shower, gave her an idea as to why it might have been so subtle all the times they'd been close before. Showering must subdue it, and in a way, that was a shame. She loved his scent. It was so perfectly Harry. Not knowing when she might get the chance to smell him again, she committed that perfect blend of Harry to memory. Whenever she needed a memory boost, or whenever she just wanted to relive that moment of waking up next to him, she could use the perfume.

Dabbing a bit on the insides of each wrist and onto her neck, Ginny, then, returned the bottle to her suitcase, eagerly anticipating this next—final—drive.

"Sirius, how long is the drive to … where did you say … New Orleans?"

Sirius nodded. "That's what I said. Your school is in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's just over an hour's drive from here."

"So, why there?" Harry asked, tying his shoes. "Why New Orleans and not elsewhere?"

"The school came with high recommendations. I don't want to color your judgments or expectations, so I'll let you find out why on your own."

Double-checking the room to make sure nothing had been left behind, Ginny followed the others out, tossing a last look over her shoulder before she closed the door, silently saying goodbye to their holiday fun.

0000

Ten minutes. They'd only been in the car for ten minutes and Harry was certain his nose was going to explode spectacularly. He was glad she was finally wearing the stuff, but did she have to pick that one while they were cooped up in the car for over an hour? To be fair, she had no clue how much that one bothered him. Unfortunately, she just might find out really soon. So far, he'd been able to hold it in by propping his elbow on the door and pinching his upper lip up against his nose, a trick Uncle Remus had once told him about, saying it made you look as if you were thinking rather than trying not to sneeze.

"What are thinking about?"

Harry's hand fell away as he turned his head to face Ginny. "What? Er, nothing much." He cast about for some explanation, jumping on the one that made the most sense. "Just the school, I guess. I can't seem to stop wondering about it."

"Well, we'll know soon enough."

Harry tried to smile but wasn't sure he pulled it off. It felt more like a grimace. "Yeah, I suppose we will."

They fell silent again, which was just as well, in Harry's opinion. The tingle was stronger than before, and he wasn't sure he could stifle it and talk at the same time. He sure hoped Sirius stopped for breakfast soon. In the meantime, he used another trick Uncle Remus had taught him. Using his tongue, he pressed as hard as he could against the gums of his front teeth. While it didn't take the urge completely away, it did lessen it, so that was something, at least.

Another ten minutes went by before Sirius pulled into a car park. Trying not to be too obvious about it, Harry scrambled out of the car, took a deep breath—and nearly lost the ongoing war with his nose. The instant they were inside, Harry excused himself and headed for the loo, hoping he could hold off what was coming until he was inside.

The door had barely latched when they hit. Not once. Not twice, but five times in quick succession, the fifth one stronger than the previous four. Leaning against the wall, Harry sighed in utter relief.

"Bloody hell, that felt good," Harry muttered to himself.

How in Merlin's name was he going to survive the rest of the way? He mentally shrugged. He'd just have to find a way somehow. Sniffling quite a bit, Harry grabbed some paper towels, blew his nose, washed up, and returned to the others, who had just been shown to a table.

"Sorry," Harry sheepishly apologized. "Emergency."

"No reason to apologize," Sirius replied, opening his menu.

Harry saw that Ginny was watching him, a look in her eyes that made him think she hadn't believed him or that she suspected something. Propping his menu up on its edge, he buried his face in it, focusing on what he wanted to eat.

"So," Sirius ventured once their orders had been taken, "happy to be done with the trip finally?"

Harry shrugged. "Yes and no. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't eager to see this school, but I've also had a lot of fun on this trip, more fun than I've had in a long time."

"Good to know. That was certainly the intention. Ginny? What about you?"

"I agree with Harry. I've loved seeing a part of the world that I would never have ordinarily been able to see, but a part of me also is tired of moving so much. It'll be nice to be stationary for a long period of time."

Sirius nodded. "I can understand that."

For the remainder of their time at the restaurant, the trio discussed their favorite, and not so favorite, times of the trip, their favorite place that they visited and why it was their favorite. Ginny cited the obstacle course in the trees as her favorite because it was so different to the other things they'd done, though she did claim the horse ride and seeing the dolphins were close seconds. Sirius declared the go karts and the laser tag as his favorites, while Harry chose the train ride and castle as his favorites. After a moment of thought, he added the Aviary to that list, laughingly reminding the others of Sirius' misfortune. Sirius' muttering that it wasn't funny set the teens to laughing even harder.

Once breakfast was over, the three climbed back into the car. By Harry's calculations, they still had almost an hour before they'd get to the school. He feared he'd never hold out that long against that fragrance Ginny wore. Other than the fact that he had such an adverse reaction to it, it really was a pleasant scent, light and airy, and it really did seem to suit Ginny. He'd just have to find a way to deal with it. Maybe he could be desensitized to it or something so that it wouldn't bother him anymore.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry had tried the tricks that had worked earlier to no avail. Getting desperate, he tried pinching between his eyebrows, then the area between his thumb and forefinger. Neither worked. He cringed inwardly when Ginny took his hand. Of course he had to have a girlfriend who was observant. Not that he minded that, normally, but now of all times? Why couldn't she have been too caught up in her own thoughts to notice—just this once?

"You're fidgeting. Are you alright? Nervous?"

"I—" That was it. That moment of distraction cost him. Four sneezes later, Harry took a moment to revel in the reprieve he'd been given.

"Harry?"

"Oh, er, yeah, I guess I am—a bit."

Ginny's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him, making him really feel like squirming, but if he did that, she'd be certain something was up. Harry forced himself to be still and to meet her gaze, projecting an air of innocence, hoping like mad that she couldn't read any deception in his eyes.

"Are you getting sick on me, kiddo?" Sirius sounded a trifle worried.

"Of course not," Harry answered, a little exasperated. "What, a person can't sneeze just because? Does it really have to mean a person is ill?"

"Well, that didn't sound like a just-because kind of sneeze. Besides, there were four of them, not just one."

"Oh, gee, really?" Harry asked, feeling snarky. "I hadn't a clue."

"Don't get shirty with me. I was just asking."

"Well, don't worry. I'm absolutely fine."

It was lie. Already, the tickle had returned, though, for now, it remained a background sensation, just enough to be noticeable but not enough to force a response. Harry sat back and idly watched the scenery fly by his window, Ginny's hand in his. After a bit, he caught a glimpse of a 'Welcome to Louisiana' sign and his stomach gave a little flutter. An enormous lake ahead intrigued him, especially when it appeared they were going to have to cross it.

"Look at the size of that lake!" Ginny exclaimed. "Are we crossing it?"

"Yes, we are." Sirius replied somewhat distractedly as he made the turn to get onto the southbound side of the causeway, having first paid a toll fee. "It's the most direct way to New Orleans."

"Wicked!"

Minutes later, Harry surveyed the area around them. "It feels like we're crossing the ocean, no land in sight."

Ginny gazed out her window, Harry's window, and the front. "I wonder how far above the water we are."

Harry had more pressing concerns. "I wonder how deep it is."

" _If_ anything were to happen," Sirius piped up, "you know we could get away rather easily."

"I know, but I still wonder how deep the water is."

Crossing the lake seemed to take an eternity, but finally they arrived on land again. Jokingly, Harry said, "I didn't think we were ever going to get across the lake."

"You think that was bad," Sirius laughingly replied, "imagine if we had to cross the wider section of the lake. What we just drove over was the narrow section."

Harry shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't imagine that. He'd been nervous enough just crossing the section of the lake that they had. Sure, he knew they could Apparate away or something if an accident occurred. That didn't mean he wanted to tempt Fate, though.

Preoccupied as he'd been with the lake-crossing, Harry hadn't noticed the impending explosion until it was too late to do anything about it.

"That's it. The first thing we do when we get there, Harry, is to get you to see the matron. The last thing you need is to start the school year with a cold."

"Sirius, I swear I'm fine." He just needed to get out of this car. Once he could escape, he'd be back to normal. He sniffled a few times. "You'll see. It's probably just something in the air."

Harry could have bitten his tongue. Why did he have to say that? Obviously, his brain was too busy basking in the aftermath of his sneezing fit to monitor his mouth. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ginny staring at him, speculation furrowing her brow. Great. Now, he'd done it. Ginny was nothing if not smart. She'd figure out his secret soon enough. Then, she'd feel bad for ever having bought the perfume in the first place. A part of him hoped she actually _wouldn't_ figure it out, though he knew the chances were slim of _that_ happening.

"Not much longer now. I promise."

All of Harry's nerves hummed at Sirius' words. He suddenly felt very antsy to get out of the car—and it wasn't just because his nose was threatening to explode again. His eyes scanned every building they approached for some sign that it was their final destination. It wasn't until Sirius drove them into a neighborhood filled with opulent homes built on equally opulent grounds that Harry knew they were only a minute or two away. Beside him, Ginny's knee began bouncing, as she chewed her thumbnail. Apparently, she knew they were extremely close, too.

Sirius slowed and turned into a paved private drive, iron gates open wide. A light rusty-colored rock wall spanned what looked to be an entire block. Harry saw a bronze plaque that read 'Magnolia House'. Strange symbols embedded in several rocks had Harry curious as to what they were and what their purpose was. Huge Southern Live Oak trees dotted the landscape with their branches spread in multiple directions, some almost reaching the ground. As trees went, they were a bit pretty, majestic even. Spanish moss dangling from their branches gave the trees grace. Under the trees were the occasional bench or chair. The grounds were immaculately trimmed with pockets of flower gardens here and there. Off to the side, a short distance away, stood a large, diamond-shaped gazebo made of honey-toned wood, with a double-tiered roof. Harry thought he saw some comfortable chairs and low tables within it.

The school drew Harry's attention next. The building looked nothing like a school at all, but then, neither did Hogwarts. Where Hogwarts was imposing and radiated a draconian air, this place exuded warmth and compassion regardless of its size. The school actually resembled many of the large houses in the neighborhood, except this house had three sections—a main middle section and two two-story wings attached by windowed corridors. The entire building had a pale orange, stacked stone exterior. At the left and right corners of the center section's roof stood a white column of some kind of stone, possibly marble. A triangular offshoot of roof jutted out over the doorway like a portico. Underneath it sat a few benches and a round table. Harry noticed the covered porch extended along the front of the main house section, and more chairs awaited use. The door, itself, was a typical door made of the same honey-colored wood as the gazebo. It was the arch of glass and wood surrounding the door that surprised Harry. It contributed to the impression of openness that Harry first felt.

"Whoa," Harry murmured, rubbing at his nose.

"Yeah," Ginny breathed.

Sirius put the car in park and turned off the engine. "Well, here we are. Let's get our bags."

Harry climbed from the car and promptly suffered another sneezing fit. When it was over, he turned in the direction of the boot to find both Sirius and Ginny watching him, Sirius with a scowl and Ginny with silent contemplation. Great. Harry _had_ a chance of talking Sirius out of seeing the matron, but not now. Unless … Maybe he could pull Sirius aside and just explain that it was Ginny's perfume that he seemed to be allergic to. That seemed like the best idea.

As they retrieved their bags from the car's boot, a tall, thin woman with long, wavy black hair came out to greet them. She wore a dark green sundress, dangling silver earrings, a silver bangle bracelet on her right wrist and a wedding ring on her left hand. She smiled as she approached them. She didn't seem much older than Sirius.

" _Bonjour!_ Hello! Welcome to Magnolia House, NOLA's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Lena Roux, the Headmistress, but you may call me Miss Lena. We're a little less formal here. Or, if you're uncomfortable with that, you may call me Headmistress Lena"

Sirius shouldered his bag, then introduced himself. "I'm Sirius Black, and this is Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley." Harry grinned at the look Ginny gave Sirius for using her full name.

"My students from Hogwarts! Excellent! Come on inside and I'll give you a quick tour."

Harry and Ginny exchanged glances before following their new Headmistress into the school. Harry's jaw dropped upon setting foot inside. The majority of the house was open. Only a few doors led elsewhere. Warm-toned wood covered the floor. On the ivory-painted walls, portraits and moving scenery art hung, along with other flashy-colored paintings. In the middle of the room were several white wooden tables, brightly upholstered sofas and chairs. Against one wall was a large fireplace with more tables, sofas, and chairs surrounding it. The entire space currently was lit by the domed skylight above the area. Unlit candles hovered at the ceiling waiting for their turn to light the room.

Lena raised her arms. "This is our commons area where all students can mingle. It's only one of several places we have." Indicating the small room near the front door, she said, "That is our secondary library. There, you can find Muggle books of various genres. Plus, if you know the exact book you need for your studies, you can check it out here without having to go to our main library."

Harry peeked into the small room. He spied several placards above the shelves declaring their topics. Despite the room's size, the selection seemed quite extensive. He wondered if he'd have the time to actually read any of the books.

The Headmistress moved away from the minute library and motioned down one of the windowed corridors Harry had seen toward a door on her right, Harry's left. "That way leads to the girls' rooms." She pointed in the opposite direction. "The boys' rooms are through there. Go ahead and drop your bags. No point in carrying them around with you."

Harry, Ginny, and Sirius followed the tall woman as she pointed out her office, a recreation room that held many free-standing games, the infirmary, the kitchen, and the dining room that was reminiscent of Hogwarts' Great Hall in that it contained four long tables and a dais with another table, presumably for the staff. Windows along one wall lit the room well.

Through the back door, Harry found another long porch with tables and chairs. One covered walkway branched to the left and attached to a two-story building, not close enough to feel cramped but not so far that getting to class on time would be difficult, either. The same for the right side. On the opposite side of the main house was a large greenhouse. Covered walkways connected all of the buildings directly. Between the buildings, two structures stood amongst brightly-colored flowers, another gazebo and a square structure not as tall as the surrounding buildings with multiple openings in its sides.

"That is where your classrooms are," Miss Lena said, motioning toward the double-floored building on the left. "The greenhouse for Herbology is there in the middle. If you need the library, simply follow the other covered walkway." She pointed out the branch to the right that led to another two-story building with one wall nearly comprised of windows. "Staff quarters are on the other side of the library with a working Floo that leads to the commons area. The building across from it is our pool, which is open until nine o'clock each evening. Care of Magical Creatures class usually convenes between the classroom building and the greenhouse, though we do have a stable for inclement weather." Lena, then, pointed to the skinny structure. "The garconnière was moved from an outlying area and was placed here. It is our owlery."

Harry gasped. "Hedwig!"

Miss Lena smiled at him. "The snowy owl? She's beautiful. Go say hello. I'm sure you've missed her."

Harry didn't need to move anywhere, however. A white form flew through one of the openings and landed on Harry's outstretched arm. A broad smile stretched his lips as he rubbed his friend's head.

"How are you, girl? It's good to see you again." Harry laughed when she affectionately nipped his finger. "I know. It was a long trip, but don't worry. This is where we'll be for a while. I'm warning you, now, though, that I plan on sending my friends some letters this year, so you'll be making that trip again." Hedwig once more nibbled Harry's finger. "Maybe this weekend, alright?" Hedwig bobbed her head, then took flight, gently cuffing both Harry and Ginny with a wing.

Back inside, Harry, Ginny, and Sirius followed Miss Lena to a door next to the corridor she had indicated led to the girls' rooms. She raised her hand to knock, but turned to them instead.

"I realize things will likely be very different to what you're used to. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Here at Magnolia House, we have a Girls' Dean and a Boys' Dean. They oversee all the general things, from counseling to discipline. Ginevra—"

Ginny winced a little. "I'm sorry, but I prefer Ginny."

"Fair enough. Ginny, Sophia Green is the Girls' Dean." Harry couldn't help but smile at the rhyme.

"Yes, it's a bit of a running joke around here."

After Miss Lena knocked on the door, a short blonde woman with kind brown eyes and friendly expression greeted them. "Oh, hello there. You must be Ginevra."

"She prefers Ginny," Miss Lena informed the woman.

"Duly noted. There's only a few students here right now—likely in the pool—none of which are in your year, so you have a choice in third year rooms. Come on, I'll show you."

Harry's chest suddenly constricted. For some irrational reason, he didn't want Ginny to go. It made absolutely no sense. She wasn't disappearing permanently. Forcing a smile onto his face, he told Ginny he'd see her later.

Miss Lena, then led them over to the other side of the commons area to knock on that office door. Harry grabbed his bag as he passed it. A man with sandy brown hair and sky blue eyes opened the door.

"Markus, this is Harry. Harry, meet Markus Becker, our Boys' Dean."

The corners of the man's eyes crinkled when he smiled. "Harry, it's nice to meet you. Let's get you settled into a room, shall we?"

"Er, sure." Harry turned back to Sirius, but Sirius waved him on.

"Go on. I have my own settling to do. Plus, I need to move the car."

"Alright. I'll see you later, then." Harry's gaze darted to the girls' corridor before he turned back to the man beside him. "I'm ready."

0000

"They seem like wonderful kids. I'm sure they'll do well."

Sirius nodded. "I certainly hope so. Both of them are a bit more serious than either ought to be, and they're quite studious. You shouldn't have any issues with them at all." Sirius grinned. "Well, other than the occasional, harmless prank now and then."

Lena smiled as well, her eyes alight with mischief. "I certainly look forward to the year's events, then." Her smile faded, however, with her next statement. "Come to my office. There's a few things we need to discuss."

Confused, Sirius followed Lena into her office. Dropping his bag next to a chair, he fell into the chair. "Is there something wrong? I thought everything had been taken care of."

"Wrong? No. I'm merely taking some precautions. First of all, I wanted you to know that the other staff is aware of Harry's lycanthropy. I felt it best they know so that some leniency can be given at the time of the full moon. As for the students, they are aware that another lycan will be on campus, but not of his identity. It'll be up to Harry to divulge that information."

"Lycan?"

"It's the term we prefer." Lena wrinkled her nose. "The term 'werewolf' has such negative connotations. We try to give our students as much of a positive experience as we can. You'll find we are more open about things than in England. Mind you, I'm only talking about my little corner of the world. Others have their own ways of handling things. Anyway, our school motto is Unity in Diversity for a reason."

Sirius solemnly looked the woman in the eye when he spoke. "And that's why I chose your school. I'm sad to say that Harry hasn't known much acceptance. Once people learned of his 'issue', they abandoned him, completely ignoring the fact that just the previous day they'd been best mates."

"Exactly my point. Now, we do have some who are more traditional in their way of thinking, but no one here will outright bully another. Personally, I feel we have a great bunch of kids."

Sirius sighed, relieved. "That's good to hear." Wait, did she say …? "Did you say _another_ lycan?"

Lena smirked. "That finally registered, did it? We have two others, one a student, the other my husband."

Sirius blinked, unsure of what to say to that revelation. "Er, okay. That was unexpected. I think I'm doubly glad I chose your school, then. Harry could do with a friend who understands exactly what he has to deal with, not to mention a mentor. Do you remember what I told you when I contacted you?"

"I do. It's hard to lose a loved one at any age, but especially in early adolescence." Lena paused a moment, tilted her head as she studied Sirius. "Tell me something, how close are Harry and Ginny? Is there anything I need to be aware of?"

Sirius squirmed in his seat. With one question, the woman had managed to make him feel as if he was young again and on the receiving end of one of Minerva's pointed stares. It wasn't that he was embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing this, it was more that it was such a private thing. However, he understood that she needed to know this. Resisting the urge to tug on his collar, Sirius cleared his throat instead.

"Well, they're dating. Amazingly enough, they seem to love each other very much, despite their young ages. They're rather dedicated to each other."

"Yes, I noticed the Claddagh rings they're wearing, and more importantly, the _way_ they're wearing them." Sirius' brows rose in surprise. Lena lifted her own. "What, you think because of my French and African heritage that I would know nothing of Irish traditions? There's a rather large Irish contingent in this area. Some of my best friends are Irish. I'm well-versed in the Irish culture."

"If you knew, then why did you ask?"

"Because sometimes promises are broken. I needed to know just where things stood, how devoted they are to each other. By the way, while it isn't common for a lycan to find his match early, it's not unheard of, either." Lena folded her hands together and rested them on her desk. "Look, I'm sure this isn't an easy topic to discuss, but it's a necessity. There's one more really personal question I need to ask. Well, maybe more than one depending on how you answer my next question. Has Harry …" Lena seemed to struggle to find the right words she wanted. " … has his lycanthropic DNA asserted itself yet?"

Sirius felt heat crawl up his neck and into his cheeks. This was his godson's relationship they were discussing! Sirius cleared his throat again. "Er, no, not to my knowledge. She's only thirteen! He's only fourteen!"

Lena shook her head. "Age doesn't always matter. I've heard of it happening to fourteen-year-olds. I've heard it happening to adults. I've even heard of it not happening at all. Unfortunately, no one really knows for certain whom will be affected. We'll need to keep a careful watch—without going overboard, that is—so that we can diffuse the tension that it's bound to cause. Now, tell me about Ginny. I noticed the scars. Anything I should know?"

"She's not a werewolf, if that's what you're asking, though she does like her meat a little more rare than most people, and she does feel a bit sore as the full moon comes, just not to the same extent as Harry. The night Harry's guardian, one of my best mates, was killed, it happened during the full moon. The scars Ginny bears are from preventing Harry from going to Remus' rescue. Harry was injured, himself. In his desperation, he clawed her."

"I see. Then, their being together reinforces my initial assessment of them. They're both very strong individuals. They'll be fine here." Voices in the commons area drew their attention. "Well, I'll let you get settled in. I have some students to greet. If you'd like, I can have the car returned for you." Sirius nodded and handed over the key. A quick glance at her clock let her know the time. "It'll be lunchtime soon. We'll see you then."

0000

While Sirius and Lena were chatting, Harry followed Markus through the mostly glassed-in corridor and through another door. On their immediate right was a staircase that led up to the next floor. Just past the stairs was an open doorway. Harry wondered if that was a loo. Markus Becker confirmed it.

"Alright, Harry. The stairs lead up to first, second, and third years' rooms, along with two fourth years' rooms." He pointed to the open doorway. "The bathroom is there." He motioned for Harry to follow him as he walked to the point where their short corridor intersected with a long corridor. "Down on the other side, is another set of stairs and bathroom. This hallway has one fourth year room, as well as all the fifth, sixth, and seventh year rooms. You can choose which floor you'd like."

Harry stared at the man beside him a moment. "Hang on. Are you telling me all the blokes in this school are split between two floors?"

Markus chuckled. "I am. We're a small school, Harry. This year, we have ninety-six boys."

Harry simply blinked owlishly, then shook his head. "Whoa. At Hogwarts, there were … well, a lot more."

"I don't doubt it. Hogwarts has to service all of the British Isles. The educational system is a little different here due to the country being so big. Each state is allowed its own school, and most do have them, except for the exceedingly small ones, like Rhode Island, Vermont and Delaware. There's also four larger, regional schools, one for each region of the United States. In the Northeast, you have Tituba in Salem, Massachusetts. In the Midwest, there's a school just outside the town of Aurora, Iowa. For the Southern region, the school is located in Hedwig Village just outside of Houston, Texas. The Western region has their school in Ogden, Utah. Sorry, I don't know those names. I've been to Tituba. That's how I know that one."

Harry shook his head, unable to comprehend that many students. It made sense, of course, but it was so far out of his realm of experience. "That's a little overwhelming."

"It is at first, but you'll get used to the idea. Something tells me you'll pick things up just fine. Now, would you rather the first floor, or the second floor?"

Harry weighed the pros and cons of each floor. What really decided it for him was his transformations. He wasn't fond of the idea of having to climb stairs while barely able to walk. "I think the first floor would probably be best."

"Then your room is at the end of this hall. Come on."

"Er, sir, I heard Miss … Green … say that there are students here already. May I ask why? I mean, at Hogwarts, students don't leave for school until the first of September."

"Call me Markus. Mr. B works, too, if you'd rather. Students aren't allowed to use their magic outside of school. Letting them come the week prior to the beginning of the year allows them the chance to practice, especially those who come from non-magical families."

"That makes sense."

"Also, we have a Parents' Day just before the start of the year where parents can come and check out the school. Then, there's Labor Day, where we show our appreciation to the house-elves and staff who work tirelessly to keep this school running."

"Oh, that's nice." Harry wondered if it would be at all possible to get Ginny's parents here for the Parents' Day. That was something else he would need to speak with Sirius about.

Markus stopped outside the last door on the left. "Listen, Harry, I want you to know that I'm well aware of your lycanthropy; all of the staff is. The students know someone else here has it, they just don't know whom it is. We leave that up to the student's discretion to divulge."

" _Else_?" Harry asked, brows raised.

"That's right. One other student is also a lycan." Seeing Harry's confusion, he explained. " _Lycan_ is the term we use around here. The term _werewolf_ tends to make people think of vicious, inhuman creatures."

Strangely touched by that statement, Harry could only nod. Markus seemed to understand for he smiled and pat Harry's shoulder. "Well, here you are. Pick a bed and closet space. It'll be lunchtime soon. If you ever need anything, see me. Even if it's only to talk. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Er, thanks."

Opening the door to his new dorm room, Harry saw the wooden floors spread to the rooms, as well. Three white-wooden four-poster beds dominated the spacious room. They were dressed in dark teal, a color Harry had associated with the ocean depths ever since he once saw a picture of a ship on the ocean floor. Each bed had matching privacy hangings and a bedside table and a short bookshelf made of the same wood as the beds. Each table had three drawers. Windows reflected the sunshine outside, and gave them a view of the grounds, which meant they were magical windows since his room faced the wall of the main house section and wouldn't have a view ordinarily. Ivory paint coated the walls.

Choosing the bed closest to the door, Harry dropped his suitcase onto it. Pulling out his clothes, he turned to the wall opposite the beds. A walk-in cupboard took up the majority of the space, hangers already in place. Stepping closer, Harry saw that the cupboard had poles on each of its three sides. He began hanging his clothes on the leftmost pole. He assumed the basket on the floor beneath the pole was for laundry.

After filling the bedside table drawers, he placed his Pocket Sneakoscope on the table top along with his glass paperweight and the photo album that contained pictures of his parents, Uncle Remus, and Sirius, despite the fact it contained embarrassing pictures of himself. Using a Sticking Charm, he hung his framed Potter Coat of Arms and the Potter photo artwork. Harry couldn't wait to get all those pictures back that Sirius took, especially the one of him and Ginny on that river cruise ship in Pittsburgh. Ginny had looked really pretty that night. He also looked forward to getting a copy of the map that showed the route they took to get here. Harry set his Firebolt onto the hooks in the wall beside his bed.

"Hello, there."

Harry swung around at the voice. A bloke with brown wavy hair and dark eyes entered the room, choosing the bed next to Harry's. "Hello."

The bloke's brows jumped to his hairline, but he grinned. "England, eh? You're a little far from home. Well, glad you joined us on this side of the Pond. My name's Chris King."

"Harry Potter." Harry waited for recognition to dawn on the bloke's face, but it never came. Needless to say, he felt relief at that.

"Nice to meet you, Harry." Chris began unpacking. "Do you play Quodpot or Quidditch? We play both here at school and at some of the surrounding schools."

While Quodpot wasn't very popular in England, Harry had heard of it. "Quidditch. I played Seeker for my House team at Hogwarts."

Chris looked Harry over. "Yeah, you look like a Seeker."

Not sure if he should be flattered or insulted, Harry asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I didn't mean anything by it. I just mean that you have the right physique for it, so I should have guessed. Are you any good?"

Harry shrugged. "I can hold my own. Why?"

"The boys' team will be needing another Seeker. Our last one graduated." Chris caught sight of the broom and whistled. "Is that a Firebolt? Oh, please tell me you plan to try out for the team. We had our backsides handed to us last year."

"Er, well, I can't make any promises, but I'd love to be able to play again. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Fair enough," he said with a quick grin and nod of his head.

Harry watched as his roommate unpacked. "Are you from here?"

"Louisiana, yes. New Orleans, no. I was born, and still live, in Shreveport."

"Do you play Quidditch or Quodpot?"

"Nope. No talent for it, unfortunately. No talent for _any_ sport, really. I do love watching the games, though. My favorite Quodpot team is, of course, the Southern Hurricanes for the professional league. If you're talking minor league, then it would be the West South Central Heat. For Quidditch, I only have a favorite pro team, the Salem Sorcerers, though I should probably like the Cajun Creatures since they're based here."

"How many Quidditch teams play for the country?"

"We have five, one for each region. They all play each other to see who represents the country internationally." From somewhere, a bell sounded. "That would be the lunch bell. Come on, let's go see what's for lunch."

As the two of them walked down the corridor, Harry stated, "You didn't ask why I'm this far from England. Why not?"

Chris shrugged. "You didn't volunteer the reason, so I figured it was something you didn't want to talk about, therefore none of my business."

Impressed with his answer, Harry started to relax, thinking he'd made his first American friend. He hoped someone in Ginny's year would come soon and, more importantly, that it was someone she could become friends with. Entering the commons area, he caught up with Ginny.

"Hey, how's your room?"

"It's pretty. I love the teal green. It's like the ocean."

Harry grinned. "That was my thought, too." He turned to his new friend. "Hey, Ginny, this is Chris. He's one of my dorm mates. Chris, this is Ginny, my girlfriend."

"Ah, the story gets even more interesting. It's nice to meet you, Ginny. Harry, man, you are one lucky dude."

"Believe me when I say, I know I am."

Taking Ginny's hand, the three walked over to the dining room.


	10. Little Failings

_**Two persons cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings.**_

 _ **-Jean de la Bruyere**_

Lunch was a surprise. It was served buffet-style, something Chris informed him was the norm for breakfast and lunch as students came in at different times. That wasn't the only thing that was different. Where Hogwarts often offered several choices of foods, here only two choices were offered, today being: sandwiches with various lunch meats, veggie fillers, condiments, and crisps, or a hot lunch that consisted of spaghetti, a choice of tomato or Alfredo sauce, garlic bread or plain bread and butter. Bowls of mixed fruit were on the one table everyone currently sat at, along with pitchers of drinks, from pumpkin juice to lemonade to water.

Harry elected to have a turkey sandwich, while Ginny chose the pasta. Harry and Ginny were introduced to the three others who had arrived before them, two girls and one bloke, all upperclassmen. They seemed nice enough to Harry, but he couldn't be sure. He supposed he wouldn't be sure until the school year really started. He didn't blame them for not wanting to hang around someone younger.

"So, what are some things we should know as far as the school year? I mean, at Hogwarts there were four Houses and the students were divided amongst the four. Points were awarded for correct answers in class or for helping each other out, things like that. At the end of the year, the House with the most points won the House Cup. Is there anything like that here?"

"There is something like that here. Instead of Houses, we just run a competition between the years. The year with the most points wins bragging rights until the end of the following year when a new winner is announced—or the same one, if the year repeats, but that doesn't happen much."

"The years compete against each other?" Ginny asked in surprise. "That doesn't seem very fair. The material is easier in the earlier years."

Chris shrugged. "You think it is now that you've learned it, but I'm guessing it wasn't too easy _while_ you were learning it."

Harry felt Ginny tense up a little and held his breath. He wondered what she'd say about her first year. Her left hand dropped under the table and landed on his thigh, which startled him a bit, but he reached over with his left hand and took it into his, giving it a squeeze.

"You're right, Chris," she agreed. "It wasn't that easy for me."

Chris shrugged again and lowered his voice conspiratorially, though the staff was too far away to hear him. "Personally, I think the teachers give the younger years fewer points but more often to help equalize things. You know? Like give the older years more points but _less_ often. None of the teachers will actually say that's what they do, though."

Giving Ginny's hand a final squeeze, Harry let go to take a drink of his pumpkin juice. "What are the teachers like? What can we expect?"

"They're all good. They really know their stuff. You'll work hard, but you'll learn a lot, too."

"That's good to know."

"Yeah," Ginny said, nodding. "At Hogwarts, we have a ghost who teaches History of Magic, but all he teaches about are goblin wars. Our Divination professor is barmy and predicts a student's death every year, from what I understand, and our Potions professor is a greasy git who seems to take great pleasure in punishing people not in his House. He doesn't really teach, either, just puts instructions on his blackboard and tells us to do it."

Chris stared at the two of them, mouth open wide. "Well, no wonder you came here! I would have too if _that_ was the education I was getting! I promise you, you won't have to worry about that here."

Harry felt relieved to hear that and said so. Ginny leaned close to him to take an apple out of the bowl in front of him, causing Harry to get a huge whiff of her perfume. He'd been doing alright now that he wasn't cooped up in a small space with her, but this time he'd inhaled more perfume than fresh air, setting him off again.

From down the table, Harry heard Sirius call, "After lunch, Harry!"

Harry rolled his eyes. He definitely needed to explain what was happening. He certainly didn't want to start a precedent for seeing the matron before the school year even began. Ginny checked his temperature, which really didn't do him any favors.

"You've been doing that all morning. Are you sure you're alright? Maybe it wouldn't hurt to see the matron."

"I'm fine," Harry stressed for what seemed the hundredth time.

"Could be allergies or something around here that you're not used to," Chris suggested. "Mrs. Cole is really good. She can help you out. Hey, you know, I think she said once that she had studied in England. Maybe she knows your school nurse."

"I'm sure she's good, but there's nothing wrong with me. I'm trying really hard _not_ to see the matron this year. Although, it would be interesting to know if she's acquainted with Madam Pomfrey."

Once lunch was finished, Sirius forced Harry to follow the matron into the Infirmary. Ginny fidgeted a moment before blurting out, "Harry, do you mind if I talk to Hermione? I don't want to call too late."

Harry had given her the mirror to keep since he'd figured she'd want to use it more than he would. "Sure. As soon as I convince these two that I'm perfectly fine, then I'll find you."

"Alright, thanks." She leaned in and gave him a quick hug before leaving the room.

Harry rubbed at his nose, knowing full well another sneeze was coming. "Okay, now that she's gone, I can actually tell you what my problem is. It's the—" He held up a finger for them to wait a moment. It seemed, the more he was exposed to that scent, the less control he had. Thankfully, there was only one that time. "—perfume she's wearing. I seem to be allergic to it or something."

" _That's_ been the problem? Merlin, Harry, why didn't you just say something?"

"Sirius, you know how much she loves that perfume! If she knew that it bothered me, she'd never wear it!"

"Well, you certainly can't go around like this!" Sirius protested.

"I'm fine as long as I'm not in closed spaces with it."

"Oh, yeah," Sirius sarcastically agreed. "You were ever so fine at lunch."

"Alright, closed spaces and large whiffs do me in, so what? You're _not_ saying a word, Sirius."

"You know what? I probably won't have to. Ginny is sharp; she'll figure it out."

Harry nodded. "Probably, and she'll likely be furious with me for keeping this from her, but I'll deal with that when it happens. I want her to have as much enjoyment with her purchase as possible first."

"Harry, if I may interrupt," the school nurse, Mrs. Cole, hesitantly interjected, "I can most likely create a desensitizing potion or salve for you. I'd just need some of that perfume so I know what to counteract."

The matron, er, _nurse_ , in Harry's opinion, looked to be about Madam Pomfrey's age, and had sincere hazel eyes and smile. "Maybe later. Er, Mrs. Cole, Chris told me you had maybe studied in England. Did you by chance know Poppy Pomfrey?"

The woman's smile broadened. "I did. We apprenticed under the same Healer. We were friends but lost touch over the years. How do you know her?"

"She's the matron at Hogwarts. Has been for," Harry did some quick calculations, "almost twenty-five years, if I remember right. She's also the one who, since I was little, took care of me when I was sick." Harry grinned cheekily. "She was also afraid whoever was here wasn't up to her standards and gave me a book of Healing Spells for my birthday."

"Oh, she did, did she? Well, maybe I should write her and give her a hard time over it."

"I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. Well, now that things have been straightened out, I think I'll go find Ginny."

"Harry, before you go, I just wanted to let you know that I have plenty of Wolfsbane Potion on hand. Come see me the mornings leading up to the full moon."

"Thanks. If you need any help brewing it, for whatever reason, I can help. That was one potion Uncle Remus made sure I could brew."

"I don't foresee needing the help, but I'll certainly keep you in mind."

Remembering what he'd been told about the upcoming Parents' Day, Harry turned to Sirius. "Do you think you could get Ginny's parents here for Parents' Day? I know it's short notice, but do you think it would be possible? I know she'd love to have them here. Use my name if it'll help."

"Harry, I'll get them here, one way or another."

Harry thanked Sirius, then bid the two adults goodbye. Ginny wasn't in the commons area, nor was she in the recreation room. Slipping out the front door, Harry scanned the grounds and found her in the diamond-shaped gazebo. He headed that way, thinking it would be good to talk to his friends again before the demands of school took up most of their time.

0000

After giving her family and Hermione a visual tour and quick run-down of the things they'd seen and done, Ginny wandered outside to the front gazebo, hoping to get a chance to talk to Hermione, girl-to-girl. Soon enough, she was granted her wish.

"Well, I'm excited for you, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said. "I miss having you here, but I'm glad you've been having fun and that the school seems like a nice place. I'll hand the mirror over to Hermione." Ginny could tell her mum was holding back tears. "I love you, Ginny. Contact me anytime. I'll be looking forward to seeing the pictures and things that you mentioned."

"I'll send them out soon. Maybe I can borrow Hedwig. I'll let you know when I do send them."

"Alright. Goodbye, Ginny."

"Bye, Mum." Ginny remained silent while Hermione stepped out into the back garden.

"What's wrong, Ginny? Something's bothering you."

Ginny lounged in one of the chaise chairs and sighed. "I'm a little worried about Harry. I think he may be allergic to something here. He's been sneezing all day. What if he is, Hermione? He can't concentrate if he's too busy sneezing."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Maybe he's just coming down with something. With all the traveling you've been doing, it takes a toll. Surely the matron can help him."

Ginny shook her head. "He says he's fine, though."

Hermione made a sarcastic sound that normally wasn't heard from her. "Considering what Harry goes through every month without complaint, is it any wonder he'd feel a little sneezing wasn't any concern?"

"I suppose. Maybe I'm just worried for no reason."

"Where _is_ Harry?"

"Talking with Sirius and Mrs. Cole. Speaking of the matron, someone said she may have studied in England. She looks to be about the same age as Madam Pomfrey. I wonder if they know each other or studied together."

"That would be great if they do know each other!"

Ginny chuckled. "Yeah, Madam Pomfrey could rest easy knowing that Harry was in good hands." Footsteps neared and Ginny looked up to see Harry a short distance away. "Here comes Harry." Ginny stood and sat in a bench seat so there would be room for Harry. She lowered her voice and quickly requested that Hermione look Harry over to see if he looked ill to her.

"Sure, I will."

"Here you are," Harry greeted Ginny, wiping his brow. "I'm surprised you're out here, as hot as it is."

"I know. I hadn't planned on staying until I discovered the Cooling Charm on the gazebo. It seemed perfect for a bit of privacy."

Harry sat beside Ginny and looked into the mirror. "Hey, Hermione. Did Ginny give you a tour already?"

"Hi, Harry. Yes, she did. We all were here for that. It looks like a wonderful place. I think I'm jealous. I can't imagine what it would be like to go to a small Wizarding school."

Harry nodded. "This year should definitely be fun."

"So, what did Mrs. Cole have to say?" Ginny inquired.

"She said I was perfectly fine, like I've said all along."

Ginny's gaze narrowed in suspicion. "You can't be fine. Surely, she didn't say that. Even I can see that there's something going on."

"Honestly, Ginny, it's really nothing to worry about."

"So, you _do_ admit that there's something."

Harry sighed, rubbing his nose. "It's just something in the air. That's all. I'll acclimate. Hey, I asked Mrs. Cole about Madam Pomfrey and guess what she said?"

"What?" both Hermione and Ginny responded.

"She actually does know Madam Pomfrey. They were friends at one time but lost track of each other." Harry cheekily grinned. "I sort of let slip that Madam Pomfrey was afraid for my health while here. I think Mrs. Cole will be writing to Madam Pomfrey soon."

"That's fantastic, Harry!" Hermione cried. "If she's anywhere near Madam Pomfrey's level, you'll have nothing to worry about—and neither will she." The three laughed easily together. "I can't believe you have another week to go before your school year starts. I can't wait to see what your colors are and to hear where the Wizarding shops are located there."

"Actually, I know what the colors are," Harry revealed, grinning madly. "I happened to see the uniforms when Chris was unpacking. I tried not to look too much, but I did catch a glimpse of those."

"Well?" Ginny asked, irritated that he seemed inclined to drag out the suspense. "Don't say that and then not tell us, you prat! Don't make me hex you!"

Laughing, Harry held up his hands. "Alright, alright. The colors are navy blue and this turquoise green color. You know, like the color of the water you normally see in pictures of tropical places?"

"Ohhh, how pretty!" Hermione gushed, sounding—to Harry—more like Lavender Brown or Parvati Patil. "What do the uniforms look like? Do they wear robes?"

"I don't want to spoil things for Ginny. I will say that none of the staff that we've met so far have worn robes."

"Maybe they will once school starts," Ginny put forth.

Harry shrugged, rubbing his nose again. "Maybe. I guess we'll find out. Oh, something else I learned today, and Hermione, you'll like this. They have something here called Labor Day; it's a national holiday. Anyway, here at school, they show their appreciation to all the staff by chipping in to help them out. All the students are here by then. For professors, students help organize supplies or separate what's old and what's new. In the library, they help catalog what books need repairing, if any, or polish the shelves. The house-elves do the absolute minimum amount of work. So, some students help them do laundry, while others help in the kitchen, in the vegetable gardens, or the grounds."

Both Ginny and Harry nearly winced at the high-pitched squeal that came through the mirror. "That's absolutely amazing! Maybe we can start something like that here! They're so often mistreated! They deserve to be recognized! Maybe if … " Hermione rattled off several more ideas she had.

Ginny snorted and turned to her boyfriend. "You just had to get her started, didn't you?"

"Well, it _is_ impressive that they do that sort of thing here. It's a bit odd to do it _before_ the school year starts, but it's nice that they do it at all. "

"True."

By this time, Hermione had zoned back into the conversation and heard Harry say, "I was told something else, too. Mr. B. told me this."

"Merlin! You're just a fountain of information today! Is there anything you _didn't_ talk about? I wish I'd had this type of conversation with Miss Green. Ours was more of a personal chat, like how she was there to listen to me anytime I needed to talk, that sort of thing."

Harry grinned and nodded. "Mr. B. said that to me, too."

Having had the dean concept explained to her, Hermione understood to whom Harry and Ginny were referring. "So, what did he tell you, Harry?"

Ginny frowned as Harry rubbed at his nose yet again. "On the Sunday before the new school year, parents are allowed to come see the school, to spend the day here. Isn't that brilliant? It doesn't matter if they're Muggles. In fact, they're especially encouraged to come to set their minds at ease about where their child will be!"

Ginny's good humor evaporated. Magnolia House had a Parents' Day, but _her_ parents wouldn't be able to come. She felt like crying. She told herself it didn't matter, that she still had the mirror to talk to her mum and dad, and that she'd given them a tour so they already knew what the place looked like. It didn't help. Heart aching, she forced a smile onto her face. Naturally, Harry noticed her melancholy.

"Ginny," he said softly, "I asked Sirius if your parents could be here, if he could get a Portkey for them. He said he'd find a way to get them here, one way or another, so don't be sad. They're going to be here."

With shimmering eyes, Ginny searched Harry's eyes for the truth, which she found. She broke down into relieved laughter, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. Sniffling, she said, "You are one hundred percent the best boyfriend a girl could have." She warned her friend. "Sorry, but this has to be done."

Reaching up with her free hand, Ginny pulled Harry's lips to hers, pouring her appreciation for him into the kiss. She'd barely begun when Harry suddenly jerked away from her, suffering another sneeze attack. Once it was over, she started to run her fingers through his hair when he sneezed a fifth time. Ginny threw a meaningful glance at Hermione as if to say _See what I mean?_ In the recesses of her mind, a memory tried to surface, but it faded quickly.

"Sorry," Harry sheepishly apologized, sniffling.

"Don't be. You can't help it. I hope this doesn't continue for much longer, though. You're going to be miserable, if you're not already."

Harry shrugged, sniffling again. "I'll manage. So, Hermione, anxious for the year to start? Read through the books already?"

It was a rather blatant attempt to redirect the conversation and Ginny knew it. He obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore. She could understand that, but it seemed he was hiding something from her. A little irritated—but concerned—she decided to let it go for now. One thing she appreciated about Harry was that, if something bothered her, he let her talk when she was ready to talk. The least she could do was to extend him the same courtesy.

The three friends chatted a little longer. Ginny shooed Harry back inside when he sneezed again. He apologized profusely, then headed back to the house. Ginny watched him go, worry knitting her brow.

"I see what you mean," Hermione said quietly. "I'm sure it'll work itself out, though."

"But why him and not me? I mean, you'd think I'd be just as affected, but I'm not. He's hiding something, too. I can tell."

"I don't know, Ginny. People are allergic to different things, if they are at all—sometimes even in the same families. Maybe we can help figure out what it is. Tell me what you smell."

Ginny inhaled deeply, concentrating on the scents that met her nose. "I smell flowers. There's quite a few clusters of flower gardens all over here. Nothing we haven't smelled before, though."

"Hmm. Okay, well, what else? What about the trees? Some people are allergic to certain wood smells."

Ginny inhaled again. "No, nothing. I just smell flowers."

"Okay, well, what about your clothes? What were they washed in, what washing powder? Maybe that's it."

"I don't think that's it. When we washed our clothes the last time, we used a washing powder we had used before. He didn't have any sort of reaction. No, the sneezing is new."

"What about shampoos or soaps? When _exactly_ did it start?"

"This morning. Well, we were maybe halfway here, I'm guessing. Hang on. When we stopped for breakfast, he practically ran for the loo. I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not."

"Did he seem ill?"

"No. We were laughing and making jokes. He was fine, otherwise. As for shampoo or soap, I suppose that could be it, but wouldn't it have had an immediate effect?"

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Most likely. Okay, what about this? Are you wearing anything with a scent that you haven't worn before?"

The memory that had previously tried to come to the forefront before leapfrogged all her other memories and bounced around as if happy she had finally remembered it. Ginny groaned, dropping her head into her hand.

"I'm such an idiot, Hermione."

"What? Why are you an idiot?"

"When we'd gone to Philadelphia, one of the things we did there was to visit this village. They had some wonderful shops. Well, in one, I found a couple of perfumes that I really liked. I couldn't decide between the two so I asked Harry to help me pick. I had him smell each of them."

Realization widened Hermione's eyes. "Let me guess. He reacted to them."

Ruefully, Ginny nodded. "He did, but to only one of them, which he played it off, saying it was simply bad timing between his smelling one of the perfumes and his sneezing. I believed him because he smelled the one again and it didn't bother him." Then, she remembered how he'd seemed to have disappeared. "You know what? I bet it _did_ bother him. After convincing me to buy them both because I liked them both, he disappeared. I bet he took off so that I wouldn't know how it affected him! The prat!"

"Have you not worn either of them since?"

"No. Today was the first day. I'd been saving them, but yesterday, Harry convinced me to go ahead and wear them, pointing out that I'd bought them to wear them. So, that's what I did. Sirius helped me decide which to wear today. Bloody hell, Hermione! He's been sneezing all day because of my perfume!"

"That's certainly possible."

"Why wouldn't the git just tell me?"

A small smile played around the corners of Hermione's mouth. "You said it yourself. You liked both perfumes."

Ginny snorted indelicately. Exasperation colored her voice. "If I'd just known, he wouldn't have been suffering all day! I would have been just as happy with the other perfume."

"He obviously wanted you to have this one, too."

"At his own expense!"

Hermione shook her head, cautioning Ginny. "We don't know this for certain. Right now, it's just speculation."

Ginny was certain. It made perfect sense. "I thought about waiting for him to admit it, but I can't stand to see him suffer needlessly. I'm going to find out. I'll experiment, make note of the days he doesn't have any problems and whether I'm wearing this perfume, but I'm fairly certain I'm right."

"I hate to say it, but you probably are right."

"I was really starting to like this perfume more than the other one, too," Ginny lamented.

"Why is that?"

Ginny instantly blushed crimson. "There's a light woodsy scent mixed in with the flowers and citrus that dominate it. That woodsy scent reminds me of Harry; it's how Harry smells."

Hermione's brows jumped. "Harry has a scent? You've never mentioned that before."

"I've not noticed it before. I did now because … well, Harry and I … we sort of fell asleep last night talking … in the same bed."

" _What?!"_

Ginny could feel her entire body heating as she tried to explain. "Neither of us could sleep, so we stayed up talking. We didn't want to wake Sirius, so I went to Harry's bed, and we talked quietly. Eventually, we fell asleep. Nothing happened. When I woke up, though, we were lying on our sides facing each other, my head tucked under his chin. We each had an arm around the other. Anyway, that's how I discovered Harry actually has a scent. I smelled it before his shower muted it."

"What did Sirius have to say?"

"He joked with us about it. He knew it was an accident and that nothing happened."

"Wow, Ginny." Hermione giggled. "I said you might _flirt_ with him, not …" She looked around quickly to see if anyone could overhear. Apparently, there wasn't anyone else around because she continued. " … not share his bed." She sobered almost instantly. "That probably wasn't very smart, you know."

"It wasn't intentional! Don't worry. It won't happen again."

Hermione's blue eyes twinkled mischievously. "So, how did it feel?"

"Hermione!" Ginny gasped, shocked at her normally somewhat prudish friend.

"What?" Hermione's cheeks turned rosy. "I guess I'm tired of being seen as bookish and straight-laced. I've been working on changing a little."

"I'll say! I like it, though. Good for you! Just don't change too much."

"I won't. I'm still going to be me, just more … relaxed." Hermione's lips curved into an impish grin. "You haven't answered my question."

Two bright spots of color blossomed on Ginny's cheeks, though her smile was all the answer anyone needed to know what she thought of her experience. "It was nice. I felt so warm and comfortable … and home." Ginny bit her lower lip, then confessed, "I wouldn't mind experiencing it again. I think it was the best sleep I've had." Before Hermione could speak, Ginny rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. There's no chance of it happening again. Not right now, anyway. That's just how nice it truly was. One of these days, though, we'll have a repeat. I almost wish we were older so that we would be closer to that day."

"You'll get there, Ginny. Just try to be patient and don't rush into anything."

Ginny grinned. "And _there's_ the Hermione I know."

Hermione laughed. "I told you I would still be me."

The girls chatted a little longer before saying goodbye, Ginny promising to call again once she and Harry went school shopping or before day's end tomorrow, whichever came first.

"Now to find my incredibly noble, loving, git of a boyfriend."

Entering her room, Ginny noticed some personal belongings around the bed next to hers. Someone else had arrived! She rushed to put the mirror away, intensely curious about her new roommate. She had just closed the top drawer on her bedside table when the dorm room door opened. Ginny turned to happily greet the girl, but her words died in her mouth. The girl was amazingly pretty with long, glossy black hair that hung to the middle of her back. She was taller than Ginny—more filled out, too. She wore a modest t-shirt and shorts.

The girl smiled and plopped onto her bed, a smile on her face. "Hello. I was hoping to meet my roommate soon. I thought it might have been someone I knew, but Miss Green said my roommate was new here. My name is Raven Wynter."

Even her eyes were lovely! They were almost indigo. Ginny swallowed her instant jealousy. It wouldn't do to start any hostilities. "Hi. I'm Ginny Weasley."

Raven grinned. "I just love your accent! British right?" Ginny nodded, worried that she would be rooming with someone like Parvati Patil, but Raven didn't notice Ginny's reticence. "You have such beautiful hair! I'm exceedingly envious. I wish I had a lighter color. It wouldn't make me look like death-warmed-over. But no! I get stuck with this!" She grabbed a fistful of her hair and held it up.

Ginny fingered her own hair, more at ease than she had been. "I think _your_ hair is gorgeous. It's so shiny. And you do _not_ look bad at all. You're very pretty. Thanks, though. My hair is a family trait." Ginny scrunched up her nose. "Sometimes I hate it—and my freckles." Then, she giggled. "But my boyfriend seems fascinated with my hair, so I guess it's not all bad."

"You have a boyfriend?" Raven asked, eyes wide. "You are so lucky!" Raven rolled her eyes and snorted. "My mom won't let me, says I'm too young." Her eyes widened as she stared at Ginny. "Wait a second. Your boyfriend wouldn't happen to be here, too, would he?"

Pride swelled within Ginny and she nodded, beaming. "Yes, he is. Did you meet him?"

"British accent, messy black hair, and impossible green eyes? Oh, yes, I met him. He's gorgeous! You _are_ lucky!"

"I know. He's amazing." The idea that Raven could be her eyes prompted Ginny to ask, "How did he look? I mean, did he seem ill? Did he sneeze a lot? I only ask because it seems as if he's allergic to something."

"No, he seemed fine. Chris and I were talking with him, asking about Hogwarts." Raven shrugged. "I think we talked for nearly an hour. He never sneezed once. I never would have known he had any allergies if you hadn't have said something."

That only cemented Ginny's suspicions that it was her perfume that set Harry off. Figuring it was time to see for herself, Ginny said, "I think I might know what it is. I know we just met, but can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. I think we're going to be good friends. I'm usually a pretty good judge of character. What do you need?"

"I'm going to find Harry. Unless I'm mistaken, he'll soon start up sneezing. I think it's my perfume. What I need for you do is to make a comment and watch his expression closely. Let me know later what you think."

"I can do that, but why wouldn't he just tell you?"

"Because he's too sweet, that's why."

"Alright. I left them in the recreation room playing pool. Well, Chris was teaching Harry how to play, anyway."

"Perfect. Let's go."

0000

The game seemed straightforward enough to Harry. Put all of his colored balls into the pockets, then finish with the black number eight ball. Harry held the stick—cue—in his hand while he watched Chris break the assembled triangle apart with a loud _crack!_ Chris hit them so hard that five balls fell into pockets. Chris elected to take the stripes, leaving Harry with the solids.

After a narrowly missed effort, it was Harry's turn. Looking over the table, he found one of his balls inches away from a pocket. If he hit it right, it would go in easily. Holding his cue stick awkwardly, he aimed, then hit the white cue ball toward its target. Harry was certain it wouldn't even get there, as he barely hit it, but somehow, it traveled down the table and nudged the other one just enough to sink it. Harry's jaw dropped.

"Nice shot!"

"But—but I barely hit it!"

"It was enough. Any harder and it might have bounced. Go again."

From where the cue ball now sat, Harry had no chance of sinking another, but he did try. This time, he nearly sank a striped ball. Chris wandered the table, presumably checking out which would be the better shot. Deciding on a side pocket, Chris leaned over the table and took aim. From where Harry was standing on the opposite side of the table, he thought Chris would have no trouble getting the ball into the pocket, but then he missed the cue ball entirely when he looked up toward the door, gasping.

Harry whirled around, the words to release his wand on his lips, but gasped, himself. Just inside the doorway, Ginny stood next to a taller girl with black hair. The contrast between Ginny and the girl was stunning. Ginny waved and walked over.

"Hey, Harry. Having fun?"

"We just started, but yeah. It's a Muggle game. There's a lot of Muggle games in here, actually."

"It looks like fun. Harry, this is my roommate, Raven. Raven, my boyfriend, Harry."

"We've met," Harry said with a grin. "We did a lot of comparing between here and Hogwarts, but I told her you would know more than I did."

Ginny smiled up at him, stepping close enough to slide an arm around his waist. His smile faltered a bit as her perfume reached his nose, setting it to tingling. He desperately wanted to beg her to take it off, but he couldn't do that. He wouldn't be that selfish.

"Teach me to play?" Ginny asked.

Harry thought there might have been a glimmer of something in her gaze other than the desire to learn to play the game, but he couldn't be sure. He looked over to Chris, who waved him ahead, saying he'd missed so it was Harry's turn. Harry showed her how to hold the cue stick, then told her which ball to hit while aiming at one of the solidly-colored balls. He gritted his teeth when she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. For luck, she said. Harry wasn't sure who would need the luck more, her to actually get the ball between two of Chris' and into the pocket or him to keep from—

Nope. No luck for _him_. Harry backed away quickly. Once he was done, he apologized, almost missing the glance that passed between Ginny and the other girl.

"I wish I knew what it is that's affecting you so much," Ginny said. To the others, she elaborated, "It's been happening all day."

"It's nothing, I'm sure," Harry said, finding it very difficult to meet Ginny's eyes.

Raven's brows rose. "All day? Really? You seemed fine earlier."

"Yeah," Chris agreed, unwittingly playing along. "It wasn't until Ginny came in that you started up."

Harry felt heat climb his neck and bloom in his cheeks as his gaze jumped around the room. Ginny's gasp swung his eyes back to her.

"It's me! You're allergic to me!"

"Don't be silly, Ginny! I've been around you since September, so nearly a year. Not once have I had any issues."

"What else could it be, then? What else am I supposed to think when, all day, you've gone no more than twenty minutes or so before you start sneezing, and I hear that you've gone a whole hour without doing so, only to start up again as soon as I walk in?"

There was definitely something in Ginny's eyes; he hadn't imagined it earlier. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach. Instinct told him she'd guessed his problem, but if she had, wouldn't she just say something? Not willing to admit to anything before he knew _she_ knew what was going on, he shrugged.

"I don't know, but it's _not_ you."

Another look passed between Ginny and the girl. Harry found his hand suddenly clasped tightly in one of Ginny's hands.

"Sorry, Chris," Ginny said, not sounding the least bit sorry to Harry, "but I need to borrow my boyfriend for a bit. He'll be back later."

"Um, sure. Harry, man, I don't envy you right now."

Harry wasn't sure he envied himself, either. Something was definitely up. Ginny tugged him out of the room, through the back door, and out to the gazebo. His heart sank when she pushed him onto a cushioned bench and she sat on one a few feet away.

"I know that _you_ know exactly what is affecting you. What is it? We're not leaving here until you tell me."

"It's … " Harry groaned and dropped his head into his hands. With huge amounts of trepidation, he finally came clean. "It's your perfume. I don't know what it is, but there's something in it that makes me sneeze. I don't know if it's the flowery smell or what but there's definitely something."

"I thought so."

Ginny's quiet declaration had Harry's head shooting upward. "You did?" Harry cringed, dreading the answer to his next question. "For how long? How did you figure it out?"

"Not very long. Hermione and I worked it out. I was going to run a little experiment over a period of a few days, but when Raven said you'd spent an entire hour with them without a problem, I decided to do one single test. I was proved right. Harry, why didn't you _say_ something?"

Feeling an inch tall at the confusion and hurt in Ginny's voice, Harry mutely shrugged. He rubbed his palm with the thumb of the opposite hand. After a moment, he said, "I didn't want you to feel as if you couldn't wear it. I know how much you like it, and it _does_ smell nice on you."

"But, Harry, if you're miserable, then what's the point? I want you beside me, not pushing me away because you can't hold back any longer." Harry stared at her in shock. Ginny nodded, knowingly. "That's right. I know what you've been doing. And at breakfast this morning? You knew you were about to start sneezing. That's why you disappeared so fast, wasn't it?"

Harry sighed, running his hands through his hair. Surprisingly, it felt good to actually talk about this with her. "Yeah, it was." He gave a single chuckle. "Barely made it inside, too. I felt so much better afterward, though."

"I'm sure you did. Harry, I thought you understood that you could tell me anything."

"I know, but I'm the one who convinced you to buy it. I knew you loved it, and I wanted you to have it. I wanted you to spend your money on things that you wanted. Then, once you had it, I didn't want you to think it was a waste of money that you worked so hard to earn. So, I didn't say anything." Harry chanced a quick glance at Ginny. He couldn't read much by her expression. "Are you angry with me?"

"No, I'm not angry. How could I be when you were willing to suffer just to make sure I was happy?" Ginny stood but didn't come any closer. "I think I'm going to wash this perfume off."

"Don't."

Ginny sighed. "Harry—"

"At least come here first." Harry held his hand out to her.

"But you'll—"

"Please?"

Harry was relieved when Ginny relented and sat beside him. Pulling her to him, he kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry if I hurt you by not speaking up."

"You did hurt my feelings a little, but it's okay."

"No, it's not, but thanks for saying so anyway."

Ginny let her head fall to his shoulder. "I love you, Harry. Nothing will ever change that."

"I love you, too, Ginny."

They sat in silence, Harry working hard to put off the inevitable. He tried not to let it show, but she must have picked up on it anyway.

"Harry, just let it—"

Harry shot away from Ginny, the first sneeze hitting before he'd taken two steps. By the time he'd reached the nearest wooden beam a few feet away, he had finished. Leaning against it, he sighed. A mild headache pulsed at his temples.

"—out. I think I'm going to go now, get this stuff off," Ginny said.

"Yeah," Harry wearily said. "Oh, hey, give the bottle to Mrs. Cole. She said she might be able to come up with something to help with my sensitivity to it." Ginny's brows arched and Harry winced. "Yeah, I told her and Sirius. I had to so that they didn't think I was getting sick."

Harry let out a relieved breath when she smiled. "Alright. Go finish your game with Chris. I'll find you later."

0000

After breakfast the following morning, Sirius Side-Along Apparated Harry and Ginny to a high-rise building. Harry stared at the structure before him as he did battle with his stomach over his breakfast. Neither his mouth, nor his stomach seemed to want the eggs and fried potatoes he'd eaten, not to mention the orange juice he'd drank.

"You're a bit green, there, kiddo," Sirius commented, his amusement evident. "Are you going to win this round?"

When his stomach gave a threatening lurch, Harry scurried behind a tree. Stomach one, Harry zero. A couple minutes later, Harry leaned against the tree, completely mortified. That hadn't happened in years. Yes, his stomach still was unsettled after Apparating, but the last time he'd actually been sick was when he was seven.

"Guess not," Sirius said from beside Harry, holding a cup of water. "Here. Rinse your mouth out."

Harry took the cup in his shaking hand and took a sip. "That hasn't happened in seven years. Why now?"

"I'm guessing it might have something to do with the warding around the building to keep anyone with evil intentions out. Wizardkind and goblins, alike, have added their magic to the protection. I had to bring us through the wards so we could pop into existence without any Muggles noticing. Sorry. I should have realized it would have that effect on you."

Harry took another sip of water. "I've been through wards before, though."

"I'd hazard a guess and say that you haven't been through goblin wards. That's a completely different style and strength of magic."

Harry finished off the water, wrinkling his nose. "Now I wish I had my toothbrush or some mouthwash."

Sirius reached into his pocket and produced a small pump spray bottle no bigger than the palm of his hand. "You're wish is my command. Mouth spray. It's peppermint flavor."

Harry eyed the little bottle, not certain he wanted to know why Sirius carried it around. Deciding he wouldn't ask, Harry took the skinny bottle, pumped a couple of sprays into his mouth, then handed it back.

"Thanks. Well, shall we go inside?"

"Are you sure you're ready?"

"Oh, yeah. I feel loads better now. The only thing that hurts now is my pride."

Harry joined Ginny, color heating his cheeks. He felt less embarrassed when she simply kissed his cheek, then took his hand and draped his arm across her shoulders. Stepping through double glass doors with the words **Magic, Inc.** etched into them in flowing script, they found themselves in a white and black marble lobby. Along one wall was a bank of small rectangular doors. Along another wall sat a handful of goblins counting money, weighing stones or filling out paperwork. The third wall held three lifts.

"What are the little doors for?" Ginny asked in a hushed whisper.

"Post boxes, I believe. I've heard that, in the smaller areas, the goblins have taken to renting out post boxes so wizards can do business with Muggles. Come on. We don't need to see the goblins this time."

They rode a lift to the next floor. The doors opened to a carpeted lobby with a few sofas and chair. The rest of the floor seemed to be holding clothing shops selling Wizardwear and Muggle clothing. There were also some second-hand clothing shops. Sirius led them to the Muggle clothing shop.

"We don't need the Wizarding shop?" Ginny asked, perplexed.

"Not this time," Sirius said, with a wink.

"So, no robes, then?" Harry thought for sure she was about to jump up and down in excitement.

"No, robes," Sirius replied, laughing.

They entered the shop and was immediately greeted by an attendant. "Hello, there! Welcome to Francine's Fashions." The woman's gaze jumped to Harry and Ginny. "Need school uniforms?"

"Yes, they do," Sirius answered for them.

"Well, grab a cart and follow me, and I'll lead you to the right section."

She led Harry to the bloke's section, while showing Ginny the girls' side. Luckily for Sirius, a wide walkway separated the two. "If you need any help, just let me know."

"Thanks." Once the lady left them alone, Sirius turned back to the Harry and Ginny. "Okay, Harry, you need at least three pairs of navy trousers, one or two navy blue belts, and white, long-sleeved, button-down oxford shirts. Ginny, you have a choice. You can choose the skirt or the trousers, or even both." Sirius shrugged. "You might think about choosing both. I can't imagine it gets too cold here, but it might get windy or chilly. You'll also need the white oxford shirts and navy blue belts."

Harry stepped over to the rack with the trousers. Not entirely sure what size he'd wear since the sizes were different here. He chose one close to his size in England and held them up. No, they were too big. After a few tries, he found a size that looked as if it would fit. Harry pulled three off the rack, draped two of them over one side of the trolley.

"I think these will fit."

Sirius pointed to a changing room not far away. "Go try them on. Take some shirts with you and do it all at once."

"Right." Glancing over at Ginny, he saw her holding against her a navy blue, pleated skirt patterned plaid with the school's green turquoise. He grinned. "I like it."

Ginny looked up at him and grinned. "Me too."

After trousers, belts, skirts, and shirts were tried and chosen, the trio moved to jumpers. They, too, were navy blue, long-sleeved, and had v-neck collars. Embroidered in turquoise on the left chest was a logo about two inches in size. Harry wasn't entirely certain what it was supposed to be but to him it looked like two lizards perpendicular to each other, the horizontal one facing left while the vertical one faced upward. Where their midsections met resembled a diamond-shaped, quartered window.

"Odd," Harry commented, looking up at Sirius, silently asking if he knew what it stood for.

"I don't have a clue, but I'm thinking you could ask someone, Chris or one of the staff members."

"True."

Once outfitted with ties that matched Ginny's skirts in pattern and colors, navy blue socks and matching oxford-style shoes to go with the rest of their uniforms, they paid for their purchases, shrank the bags, then rode the lift to the next floor. There, they purchased their school books, parchment, ink, and quills. Another floor up held the apothecaries and potions accessories, as well as shops selling all the accoutrements for Divination, Ancient Runes, Astronomy, and a shop selling eyeglasses. Both teens restocked their Potions kits. Neither of them were taking Divination, but they _were_ taking Ancient Runes and needed their own sets, so they stopped in that shop to get those. They didn't stop in the Astronomy shops as their current telescopes were still in good working order.

"This is just so odd," Ginny remarked as she looked around the next floor at the Quodpot, Quidditch, Gobstones, photography, jewelry shops, and joke shops. "I'm so used to Diagon Alley that this almost doesn't seem real."

"It doesn't, does it?" Sirius asked, looking around them as well. "So, Ginny, do you need any Quidditch gloves or anything?"

"I do, yes, and some leg and arm guards."

Ten minutes later, they excited the shop. Harry mentioned getting some treats for Hedwig so it was back onto the lifts. On the next to last floor, they found the owl shops, magical creatures shops, a Muggle pet shop, and two wand shops. Harry purchased his owl treats fairly quickly. Ginny declined getting a pet, stating she'd need to ask permission first, though she did seem to fall in love with a tortoise-shell-colored kitten.

The top floor consisted mostly of cafes, formal restaurants, and sweets shops. Two relatively small shops sold items one would find at a supermarket. The trio wandered into one of the sweets shops, this one dedicated to biscuits and fudge, each picking out a couple of pieces. Harry's stomach rumbled loudly. His hand shot up to cover the sound, which really didn't muffle the noise at all.

"Hungry, Harry?" Sirius asked, grinning.

"Starving, actually. If you'll recall, I didn't exactly get to keep my breakfast."

"I recall quite vividly, than you very much." Sirius consulted his watch. "It's almost lunchtime. Do you want anything to munch on?"

Harry eyed Sirius as if his godfather had lost his mind. "Just to lose it later? No, thanks. I'll wait."

"Fair enough." Sirius paused a moment. "Harry, how long has it been since you had your eyes checked?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Sometimes, your vision can change. Maybe we should have it done while we're here."

Harry shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

They'd almost reached the lifts when Ginny made her own request. "I saw a jewelry shop on the same floor as the Quidditch shops. Do you think we can stop in there and have a permanent protective charm placed on my ring? Bill's charm will likely fade at some point."

"I don't see why not. We can do the ring first as we'll reach that floor first."

To Harry's utter astonishment, the witch behind the counter at the jewelry shop gave no reaction to Ginny's request of a Buffering Charm to be placed on her ring. In fact, she never even looked his way, though Harry didn't get the feeling he was being snubbed. The woman smiled at Ginny.

"It can be done, of course, but it'll take time to layer the Charms properly. If they're not layered properly, the Charms can break down and eventually fade. I don't believe you want that, so I'll need to keep the ring." Reluctantly, Ginny handed the ring to the shopkeeper. "It'll be well taken care of. I promise. When it's finished, I'll send it to you. Will you be at our local school?"

"Magnolia House, yes."

The woman wrote a note of Ginny's name, what was to be done, then where it was to be sent. She wrapped the parchment around the ring, sealing the edges with a temporary Sealing Charm. Ginny paid for the woman's service.

"If there's ever any problem with it, simply bring it back."

"Thanks." As they walked away, Ginny fingered the empty spot left by the missing ring. "I'm so used to having it on, it doesn't feel right to not have it. I almost feel lost without it."

Harry took her hand in his. "It won't be for long."

"I hope not."

The next floor down, they walked into the shop selling eyeglasses. A balding man with light blue eyes greeted them. "Hello, and welcome. Here to have our eyes checked?"

"Harry is," Sirius said, motioning to Harry.

The jovial man indicated a chair in which Harry should sit. Harry took the seat, suddenly nervous. What if his eyesight had grown worse since his last checkup? Honestly, he couldn't even remember when his last checkup was.

"Don't be nervous. This won't hurt a bit. Now, judging by your lenses, I'd have to say your eyesight isn't all that great."

"Unfortunately, you're right. Inherited my dad's vision, I guess."

To his credit, the man's brow only twitched minutely. "Well, let's see if we can improve on what you have. How is your vision without your glasses?"

"Horrid. I can't make out anything but colors and blobs." Harry waved a hand in Sirius and Ginny's direction near the door. "The only reason I'd know them is because they're familiar to me. I can't make out faces or anything. I can't even see three feet away."

"Bah, no worries! I'm certain I can improve that. Now, I need you to remove your glasses for me."

Harry hated to do it. He felt so vulnerable without them. He looked over to Ginny, who immediately joined him and took his hand in hers. Comforted, Harry removed his glasses.

"Alright. Now, I'm going to look into each of your eyes. I'll be shining a light into them to help me see. I imagine you're feeling rather defenseless right now, so I'll be as quick as I can."

"Thanks. I appreciate you telling me ahead of time what you're doing."

The blob that was the man seemed to move up, then down. "I've found it puts people more at ease to know what's coming. Alright. Here we go, now."

The beam of light was so bright it almost made Harry flinch away from it. The man moved the light back and forth several times, directed Harry with the light to look up, down, then sideways. The same was repeated with Harry's other eye. Finally, the man backed away, turning off his light.

"I was only able to do some minor corrections. Look around and tell me if anything is clearer than it was."

Harry looked over to Sirius and received a happy surprise. Instead of the frosted-glass view he was used to seeing, it was now like looking through slightly steamed glass. He still couldn't make out Sirius' individual features, but they were more distinct. He could actually _see_ that Sirius' hair was wavy.

"Brilliant! I can actually see things I couldn't before!"

"Excellent! Now, then, on to your glasses. Would you like to keep the frames or would you like something different?"

Harry hadn't thought about that. He liked the connection to his father that his round frames gave him. On the other hand, he wasn't his father. Which should he choose? Harry just didn't know.

The man smiled, apparently sensing Harry's uncertainty. "How about this? Let's take things in baby steps. We'll change the lenses in your current frames. Then, sometime later, if you decide to, we can change the frames."

"That sounds good." Harry let out a little breath, his tension draining away.

A minute or two later, Harry slipped on his glasses, marveling at how much lighter they felt, and at how much better he could see. "That's … amazing. Thank you."

"Glad I could help."

While Sirius paid, Ginny studied him. Eventually, he asked, "So, what do you think? Surely, they're not that much different."

"Not at first glance, no, but the lenses aren't as thick as the old ones. These look even better on you than those did. They make your eyes clearer." Ginny leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Their beautiful color actually stands out more now." She kissed his cheek before moving away.

Harry fought the heat wanting to turn him as red as Ginny's hair; he was only partially successful. Two little spots on his cheeks and his ear tips burned. He couldn't help it. Even though it pleased him greatly to know that she liked them, they were still just green eyes. He'd made the mistake of saying that to her once and got an earful about how he should never downplay his eyes again, that they were unique, and had been given to him by his mum. He knew they were a rare green, but he didn't see the point in making a huge fuss, either. It wasn't as if his eyes were some completely new color, like red or something. Harry shuddered lightly at that thought.

"Alright, it's time we head back to school."

Back outside, just inside the wards, Harry braced himself for the rolling stomach that was to come. With a final swallow, he nodded to Sirius that he was ready.

0000

His uniforms now hung in the walk-in wardrobe, shoes aligned against the wall under them, Harry started on his school books, putting them on the bookshelf opposite his bedside table. The door opened to admit Chris in his swimming trunks and towel wrapped around his neck.

"Oh, hey. Get everything?"

"I think so. If I'm forgetting something, I guess I'll find out soon enough."

"So, what are you taking this year, then? What electives?"

"Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures."

"Well, we'll be in Care of Magical Creatures together, but not Ancient Runes. I'm taking Arithmancy."

Chris pulled out a change of clothes. The door opened again and a reedy thin bloke with brown eyes and golden blond hair rushed in. The Sneakoscope on Harry's bedside table spun and sang. Surprised, Harry picked it up and stashed it in the top drawer underneath some socks. He watched the new bloke carefully.

"Chris! Have you seen the girls this year? Talk about gorgeous! Especially this one in particular! I think I'm in love already."

"Easy there, Lew. Hey, meet my roommate. Lew, this is Harry. Harry, this is Lew, a friend of mine. He's a fourth-year with us."

Lew tilted his head in acknowledgment. "You're new. Nice to meet you." Lew turned excitedly away from Harry, reminding Harry of one of Ginny's classmates, Colin Creevey. "Hey, Chris, come check this girl out. You won't believe your eyes. _And_ she's a third year. Can you imagine? Of course you can't. Come on. She's got these incredible golden brown eyes and hair down to the middle of her back with all these glorious shades of red in it. I'm making a move on her before anyone else does."

Harry's entire body tensed. The beast within him snarled and growled its opinion of anyone 'making a move' on Ginny. Harry slowly stood, and stepped to the center of the open floor, his hands balled into fists. Blood rushed through his veins, quickening his breathing.

"Stay away from her," Harry commanded in a calm yet cold voice.

Lew whirled around, Colin Creevey replaced by Draco Malfoy. "What did you say to me?"

"I said, stay away from her."

"You can't tell me what I can and can't do."

"Um. Lew, I—"

"Shut up, Chris. This is between me and British boy, here." Lew invaded Harry's personal space and jabbed Harry in the chest with each emphatic word. "You're _not_ my mother. You're _not_ my father. The way I see it, you have _no_ say in what I do. Just because you happen to be from the same country means _nothing_."

Harry smacked Lew's hand away. "Stay away from her," he repeated, his voice lowering yet retaining a steely tone.

"Lew, I really think—"

"I said, shut up, Chris. If British boy wants to be here, he needs to learn some manners."

Harry's gaze narrowed. He knew he shouldn't be getting into any fights, but he couldn't just walk away. He had to prove his dominance or he'd be forever walking around this bloke with his figurative tail tucked between his legs. "Do you think you can? I'd love to see you try."

The two stood opposite each other, tense and glaring. Then, Lew made his move. His speed took Harry a bit by surprise, but Harry deflected the punch, spun Lew around and tossed him across the room. The boy landed and rolled into the wall, but was back on his feet quickly.

"Leave her alone," Harry said again in that same steely voice.

"Why should I? She's fair game," Lew answered and rushed Harry again.

Harry lowered his shoulder and drove Lew hard against the wall, a fistful of the bloke's shirt in one hand, while Harry's other arm pressed painfully across Lew's chest. "Because she's my bloody girlfriend! That's why!"

All the fight seemed to drain out of Lew. "Hey, man, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Yeah, I'll leave her alone."

Chest heaving, Harry released Lew. With the adrenaline gone, Harry felt shaky. Luckily for him, the lunch bell sounded. Not wanting to see any rebuke in Chris' eyes, Harry left the room without a word, though he could feel both their gazes boring into his back.

At lunch, Harry discovered that quite a few students had arrived while he and Ginny had been gone. He'd been introduced to them all, but he could remember none of their names. At least they all seemed friendly. Lew kept his distance, but Harry could feel his gaze periodically. One part of Harry thought maybe he should apologize for acting the way he had. What that bloke had said had set off some primal instinct inside Harry that he'd been powerless to squash. He really needed to keep better control of himself. He couldn't react that way every time someone said something about Ginny. On the other hand, his Sneakoscope had gone off the second Lew had entered his room.

"You're being awfully quiet. Are you okay?"

Harry looked down at the girl beside him, her bright brown eyes full of concern. He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. "Yeah. I'm fine. Have another roommate yet?"

Ginny eyed him a moment, and Harry was afraid she wasn't going to drop the subject, but she did. "I do. Her name is Amelie. She's fluent in both English and French." Ginny pointed discreetly down the table to a girl with boyishly short, light-brown hair. "That's her. What about you? Do you have your second roommate yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Hey, Harry, may I sit down?"

Harry looked up at Chris in mild surprise. After what happened, he thought he'd ruined any chance he had at a friendship with Chris. "Sure."

"Look, Harry, I know Lew can be hardheaded sometimes and stubborn, and an all-around jerk, but most of the time he's a really good person. Try to keep an open mind, okay? Don't judge him too quickly."

"Why do I get the feeling something happened?" Ginny asked, her gaze bouncing between the two boys.

"It was … something to witness," Chris declared, sounding a bit impressed. "Lew came into our room announcing that he was interested in … well, it turned out to be you. Harry, here, shut that down pretty quickly. Lew didn't take it too kindly. He took a swing at Harry, but Harry tossed Lew as if Lew weighed next to nothing. Well, he doesn't, really, but that's beside the point. Lew came at Harry again and Harry plastered Lew against the wall. Once Lew realized you were taken, though, he apologized and Harry let him go. I swear, it was like watching two dogs fighting over a bitch."

Ginny's eyes rounded, her face turning red. "A _what_?"

Chris winced. "Oh, man, sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. My parents are dog breeders. I'm used to using that term in reference to female dogs. Sometimes, my mouth runs before my brain can catch up. I wasn't comparing you to a female dog, either. Please, don't think that. I think maybe I should just shut up now before I get myself into any more trouble."

Ginny turned her gaze to Harry. "Is this why you've been so quiet?"

Harry sighed, shoving his half-eaten lunch away. "I'm not proud of it, but yes. I'm sorry. I never should have let it get that far."

"I'm sure this is about to become a private conversation. I think I'll go. Hey, why don't the two of you join a bunch of us in the pool later?"

Harry looked up at Chris, brows raised. "You still want to be friends after that?"

"Harry, man, it was a misunderstanding. That's all. I understand if you don't like Lew. Sometimes, people just rub each other the wrong way. It happens."

"Then, sure. We'll be there later."

"Alright, then. See you."

"Harry, what happened? That's not like to you—except for that one time at the water park."

"I wish I knew. This … instinct … just took over when the bloke wouldn't shut up." Harry rubbed gingerly at his chest. He lowered his voice. "It was like the monster inside was pushing me. I felt like I had to prove that you were mine or something. And before you say anything, yes, I know you're not something to be owned. I just couldn't seem to stop myself."

"Perhaps you should try to get along with him. After all, you're going to be in the same core classes."

"I know, but I don't know that I can trust him. My Sneakoscope started whistling as soon as Lew entered our room."

"In that case, maybe you should try to keep your distance."

"I probably will."

"Good." Ginny tugged Harry's plate back in front of him. "You were starving earlier. Eat. Then, we'll go play."

Harry grinned, feeling much better than he had. He gave her a quick kiss. "Yes, Mum."

"Ew, Harry, no! Don't even joke about that. Not after kissing me."

Laughing, Harry finished his lunch.

0000

In Hermione's opinion, it took students longer than she'd thought it would to notice Harry and Ginny weren't on the train. Several people stopped by the compartment asking if it was true, where the two were, and why they weren't on the train. She, Ron, and Neville rode together, taking turns answering the questions.

After the tenth person came by, Hermione sighed in frustration. "I hope we don't have to deal with this the entire way. The gossipy nature of the student body is thoroughly depressing."

Ron shrugged. "I reckon we should have expected this." He scowled as he thought of some of the questions that had been aimed at him. "But, seriously. The nerve of them to ask if Ginny was pregnant with Harry's baby! She's thirteen!"

"Harry's counting on us to dispel those rumors," Neville said quietly.

"I know. I just wish I knew what to say. I didn't think it would be this bad." Hermione hated admitting she didn't know something, or didn't know what to do, and it showed.

Ron snorted. "We could always follow in my brothers' footsteps and come up with something outlandish. Maybe lots of things and say them all, something different to each person who comes to our door."

"I like that, but what's more outlandish than your sister being pregnant?"

"Well," Neville hesitantly spoke up, "maybe something like … Ginny was stung by a … well, one of Luna's creatures … and that it made Ginny a fly or something during the day."

Hermione gaped at the normally quiet bloke across from her a moment, impressed at his imagination. "Well, that's certainly more outlandish than Ginny being pregnant. Good one, Neville. What other absurd ideas are locked away in that mind of yours?"

"But, wait a moment," Ron interrupted, looking worried, "with something as barmy as that flying around, wouldn't that make people believe something less so, like her being pregnant?"

"Hmm. You could be right about that. Okay, what about this? What if we threw in some more believable stuff? For example, Ginny felt ill and your parents decided to take her straight to Hogwarts?"

"That's definitely better, but how do we explain Harry not being here?"

"Good question." Hermione thought hard about that one. Shrugging, she suggested, "We could always just tell whomever asks to talk to Professor McGonagall." Her mouth curved rather mischievously. "Or better yet, they can ask Professor Dumbledore."

Ron eyed her a moment, then laughed. "I think you've been around the twins too long. That's bloody brilliant, Hermione. Professor Dumbledore won't know what to say, either. Serves him right, after last year."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "I'm sad to say that it does."

For several hours, whenever someone came by and asked after Harry or Ginny, one of the three compartment occupants tossed out something, alternating between something believable and something completely ludicrous. Then, the door opened again, and a sneering voice belonging to a white-blond boy goaded them.

"I just had to see for myself that it was true. _Saint Potter_ has been run out of Hogwarts. I see there's one less Weasel, too. It's about time Hogwarts started to get cleaned up." He sniffed disdainfully. "Mudbloods should be next."

Ron grew red, as did Neville, but Hermione calmly smiled and saccharine-sweetly said, "Why, Malfoy, thank you so much for caring. You know, I think it would be lovely to study abroad, but alas, I haven't enough money, so I suppose I'll be staying at Hogwarts—unless some wealthy benefactor donates enough money for me to go."

Ron and Neville stared in astonishment at Hermione, a look mirrored to a lesser, more horrified degree on Malfoy's face. He said nothing for several seconds and Hermione silently congratulated herself on managing to outwit the Slytherin. Served him right for coming to gloat. Honestly, why did he think he had to stop by every year? It almost seemed a compulsion he had no control over.

"I'm certain someone out there would do so if you _favored_ him," Malfoy eventually spat, his emphasis on the word making his meaning quite clear. "Oh, and Weasel, I heard your sister is going to be having a litter of pups. Your mother should be so proud."

Ron struggled to stand, but Neville held him down. Hermione, however, didn't have such restriction. "Are you so obsessed with us that you feel compelled to visit when we're on the train? There's a name for that mental illness. It's called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Maybe you should see a Healer, get some potion or something for it." She shoved him out the door and slammed it in his face.

"The git!"

Hermione turned away to face Ron. "Yes, he is, but you have to try not to let him get to you. That's how bullies work. Try to remember that no one who matters believes the stuff he spouts off. Not to mention the fact that Harry's counting on us to be his 'eyes and ears' as he put it. You can't help us if you get yourself into trouble."

Ron sighed. "You're right. I have to do better—for Harry and for Ginny."

That evening, the three friends sat together at the Gryffindor table, well aware of some of the looks being tossed their way. They politely clapped through the Sorting, and were rather anxious to begin the Feast, no one more than Ron. Hermione, thinking this was when Dumbledore was likely to notice two Gryffindors missing, turned to her companions.

She whispered furiously, "Watch Dumbledore, but be careful. Start thinking of something else, just in case, something you know a lot about."

Dumbledore stood, looked out among his students and began to make a very important announcement. "This year, Hogwarts shall play host to a most daring Tournament, one that will involve three schools. However, this will be different than the ones that have gone on in the past. This one is far more reaching in its scope, for in the Dark times to come, we must have friends and allies in which to rely upon. In order to foster such relationships, to expand our horizons, one school in this Tournament will be from Asia, while the other will represent America."

Hermione's gaze widened and she quickly turned to the others. "Do you think he knows?"

"I don't know," Ron said with a shrug. "I don't see how he could."

Hermione tuned back into Dumbledore's speech only to realize his voice had trailed off, his gaze zooming along the Gryffindor table. She forced herself to be still and hoped the boys could as well. Twice, the Headmaster's gaze scanned the Gryffindor students. Hermione nearly cringed when his unflinching eyes landed on her, then darted to the side of her, and she knew he was studying Neville and Ron.

Hermione thought Dumbledore had paled. Certainly, he gripped the table before him so tightly his knuckles looked white. Quietly, Dumbledore promised more information after the Feast, gave the signal for the food to appear, then sat down rather heavily. Hermione _almost_ felt sorry for him. Not wanting to feel sympathy toward him at the moment, she focused on filling her plate.

"Don't be surprised if Dumbledore asks to talk to us either tonight or tomorrow," she warned. "Don't accept anything he gives you to eat or drink and don't look him in the eye." Though both boys agreed, each of them looked nearly sick at the thought of being one-on-one with their Headmaster. "If you'd feel better about it, ask for Professor McGonagall to be present. She's our Head of House. She has every right to be there. She's on our side, remember?"

That seemed to brighten the boys up considerably. Hermione chanced a glance up at the staff table. McGonagall seemed to be watching Dumbledore closely. Hermione almost wished she could be present to hear the conversation between the two of them that would inevitably come. At that moment, Professor McGonagall looked Hermione's way, picked up her goblet with the slightest of nods in Hermione's direction, then took a drink. As Hermione returned to her meal, she couldn't stop the slight smile curving her lips. She was fairly certain she'd just been given a victory toast.

0000

This was it! Today her parents would be visiting! Ginny jumped out of bed, grabbed what she needed for a shower, and headed down the corridor. Sirius had said they'd be there right after breakfast. Ginny couldn't wait to show them around. She thought the visit would make it easier on everyone involved when it was time to say goodbye.

All through breakfast, she nervously fidgeted. "What if something happens and they can't come, Harry?"

"They'll be here. Sirius is making certain of it." Harry motioned to her barely-touched breakfast. "Eat. You want to have the energy to show them around, don't you?"

"It's no use. I can't."

"Just a few bites?" Harry prodded.

"I said I can't! What part of that did you not understand?" Harry flinched as if he'd been physically smacked. Ginny groaned. Why did … girl things … have to happen now of all days? Reaching out, she took Harry's hand. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I don't think I can eat. I'll just wait for you in the commons area."

"Er, okay." Snagging an apple, he held it out to her. "For later. Just in case."

Harry had the most endearingly hopeful expression on his face that Ginny just couldn't refuse. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Harry. I might actually want it later."

Ginny tried sitting on one of the sofas but that didn't last long. She browsed the shelves of the library room, but couldn't concentrate on any of the titles. She took to lapping the commons area as she waited, passing the apple from hand to hand. A few minutes later, Harry intercepted her, took her hand, and led her outside to the area under a tree designated as an Apparation and Portkey area to wait.

As they waited, what looked to be a train car—just one—stopped outside the open iron gates to let two men and two women off. Ginny exchanged bewildered glances with Harry. The foursome walked straight through the gates, one pair looking everywhere around them. A first-year bloke dashed past Harry and Ginny to greet his parents. Ginny thought he was likely to be a Muggle-born.

Mere seconds later, another train car stopped and let off more passengers. All of them walked through the gates.

"What kind of train can go on a road?"

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea."

"It's called a streetcar." Ginny turned to see Miss Lena smiling behind them. "Muggles use them to get around the city if they don't want to drive, walk, or take a bus. However, the ones you're seeing are Wizarding streetcars. You can pick one up from anywhere in the city, and they will take you anywhere in the state of Louisiana and a few places outside of the state."

"Oh. Sort of like the Knight Bus back home. It'll take you all over England."

"Wales and Scotland, too," Harry added.

Ginny hadn't heard that. "Really?"

Harry nodded. "It won't cross water, though. It's not a fun ride, either. Trust me."

Ginny could tell Harry spoke from experience. More students brushed past them on their way to greet their parents, who had arrived while she had been talking with Harry and Miss Lena. Then, three people popped into existence under a tree, two of which had the Weasley red hair. Ginny let out a high-pitched squeal and tore off the porch toward them.

"Mum! Dad! You're here!"


	11. Catastrophes and Dreams

_**I am the designer of my own catastrophe and the stylist of my own dreams.**_

 ** _-La Whimsy_**

Dumbledore paced his office briskly, hands folded behind his back. He'd talked to Minerva at the end of the Feast and she'd admitted to having known that neither Harry nor Ginny would be coming back to Hogwarts. She'd absolutely refused, however, to say anything further. He didn't understand how she could be so unconcerned over this development! She knew all of their futures were at stake! For the hundredth time since arriving in his office that first evening of the term, his frustrated gaze landed on one of his myriad silver instruments, still whirring away as if nothing had changed. He'd tuned that one in to Harry's beating heart. The fact that the instrument still ran obviously meant Harry was still alive, which was something, at least.

A chat with Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Longbottom didn't garner him any more information, either, though the three did confess to knowing their fellow Gryffindors weren't returning to Hogwarts. Where could the two be? He'd thought to take Harry under his wing this year, to start teaching him some advanced spells to prepare him for the task that fell to him. Now, he had to scramble to figure out what Plan B should entail. Dumbledore sighed. In reality, he needed to speak with Harry, maybe convince him to come back to Hogwarts before it grew too late into the term.

Albus had heard the rumors flying as to why the two Gryffindors were missing, and none of them were kind. Perhaps a visit with Molly and Arthur would clarify things. Surely, they weren't purposefully keeping Miss Weasley at home. Or perhaps they were, to make a point. Molly certainly hadn't been very happy with him at the end of the school year. He could still hear the faint echoes of Molly's Howler. If that was what was happening, then he needed to reassure them that their point had been made. Molly felt there was nothing more important than a good education. Perhaps he could use that to make her see that Miss Weasley needed to be in school.

A plan of action decided upon, he contacted his Deputy Headmistress to let her know he'd be away from the school for a few hours, stating where he'd be going if he was needed.

"They won't be home, Albus. Molly told me she and Arthur were taking a short holiday once the kids were in school. It had been years since they'd done so and decided now would be a good time to do so again."

That just raised more questions. "But what of Miss Weasley? Molly would never leave one of her children behind. This holiday of which you speak does not sound like the kind of holiday one would take a child on."

"I can only tell you what I'd been told, Albus."

Albus had the feeling that Minerva hadn't _wanted_ to be told anything more, for this very reason. Sighing, he thanked her for saving him a trip. Now what was he to do? The thought of not doing anything didn't sit well with him, especially not with so much at stake, but what choice did he have? A small cry drew his attention to Fawkes. Fawkes' Burning Day had finally come, but it couldn't have been more inopportune. That avenue was out as well. Fate seemed to be blocking him at every turn! He supposed turnabout was fair play, as the Muggles liked to say, but it surely wasn't fun.

0000

After letting go of her parents, Ginny hugged Sirius. "Thank you so much for bringing them."

"It was nothing, Short Stuff. I didn't even have to use Harry's name to get the Portkey. I explained the situation and they immediately approved my application. No worries."

Ginny's hands flew to her hips as she scowled at Sirius. "Don't call me short." Secretly, she loved that he'd given her a nickname like he had for Harry, but why did it have to be in relation to her height?

Sirius laughed, then headed over to Harry, who had hung back. As he passed by, Sirius said, "Sure thing … Stuff."

Ginny giggled. Turning her focus back to her parents, she saw them surveying the house and grounds. "It's pretty here, isn't it?"

"It's certainly different," her mother agreed, sounding uncertain.

Her dad pulled at his collar a bit. "And warm."

"It'll get warmer, but there's Cooling Charms on a lot of the buildings. Come on, let me introduce you to Miss Lena, our Headmistress."

"You call your Headmistress by her first name?" Molly asked, her face flushing in anger.

"Mum, it's what she told us to call her. They do things a little differently here."

"Well, I for one," Arthur jumped in, "am looking forward to meeting her and seeing the rest of your school. Shall we go?"

The three passed by Harry and Sirius on their way to the front porch where Miss Lena was actively greeting all the parents. Ginny, again describing her airplane experiences to her dad, absently reached for Harry's hand, finding nothing but air. She stopped, confused, and looked back to where he and Sirius still stood.

"Aren't you coming?"

Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well, I thought maybe that you'd want … I didn't want to …"

Ginny barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. _Boys! They could be so clueless sometimes!_ Ginny rejoined Harry, purposefully pulled a hand from its pocket, wove their fingers together, and practically dragged him back to her parents, draping his arm across her shoulders.

"You, too, Sirius," Arthur called. "We can't thank you enough for bringing Ginny here safely and giving her such wonderful experiences. I'm sure we'll have lots of questions for you."

"Only if you're certain," Sirius said, catching up to them. "Don't want to intrude on a family reunion."

Arthur faced Sirius fully, placing one hand on Harry's shoulder, his other hand squeezing Sirius's shoulder. "You both _are_ family," he insisted, his gaze jumping from Sirius to Harry. "Now. How about that tour?"

Ginny could have Mum-hugged her dad for what he'd just said. As it was, she beamed up at him and received a wink from him. Now that they were all together, she led her parents up to the front door where Miss Lena stood.

"Miss Lena, this is my Mum and Dad."

" _Bon jour!_ Welcome to our school. Take a look around. If you have any questions, just ask."

"Thank you," Mrs. Weasley said, still sounding uncertain about her surroundings.

Ginny took them inside, explained the commons area, the mini-library, the idea of the dean system that they had, pointed out the infirmary, peeked into the dining room, then the recreation room.

"There's a lot of Muggle games in here."

"Are there really?" Mr. Weasley asked, his eyes lighting up with interest.

Ginny grinned, knowing her dad would react in that exact manner. "Yes, there are. I thought maybe you'd like to play a game or two while I showed Mum my room. I don't think I can take you with us."

"That's alright, Ginny. I'd love to play. Take your time." Ginny felt relieved at that. Then, her father's next words made her want to Mum-hug him all over again. "Maybe I can play Dad to Harry and convince him to let me see his room."

Ginny nearly giggled at Harry's dumbfounded expression, but then he swallowed with difficulty and her mirth was gone. Squeezing his hand, she received an answering squeeze and minute smile. After introducing her parents to Miss Green, Ginny took her mum through the windowed corridor connecting the main house to her dorm.

"Oh, Ginny, this place is so beautiful, and the people seem very nice."

Ginny smiled over her shoulder as they climbed the stairs to get to Ginny's room. "They really are, Mum. Everyone here has been friendly." At the top of the stairs, Ginny passed a door on each side of the corridor before stopping at the next one on the left. "This is my room. First, second, third, and three of the fourth-year rooms are up here."

Mrs. Weasley's brows rose. "That's all the students there are? You can fit them all on one floor?"

Ginny giggled at her mum's expression. "I know. It surprised me, too. Come on in."

She delighted in her mum's expression upon seeing the deep-ocean green of their bed coverings, ivory-painted walls, and white furniture. Ginny stepped up to her bed. "This one is mine."

Mrs. Weasley scanned the room. "It's lovely, dear." She gasped after catching sight of something on the wall above Ginny's bed. "What's that?"

Ginny looked up at the travel map outlining her journey there, the Weasley wall art that she planned to give her mum for Christmas, her best Holyhead Harpies poster, and the broom hooks that currently secured her Firebolt.

"The map shows all the towns we traveled to. The art is something that was made in Philadelphia." Ginny pointed out the place on the map.

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said, sniffling, "my baby's come so far."

"It almost doesn't seem like it. We were so busy, but it was loads of fun."

"Why is this name circled?" Mrs. Weasley pointed to a place not connected to the others.

"That was a place we visited but didn't stay overnight. Can you believe it was a castle?" Ginny's eyes rounded in excitement. "Oh, and we saw this ghost girl who showed us some secret Potions lab! The really interesting thing, though, was that she mentioned her sister having married into the family who had built the castle. Her sister's last name was Potter! Can you believe it? Harry might actually have some relatives here!"

"Her sister's last name is Potter? Not hers?"

Ginny shrugged. "Maybe she's from another marriage or something, I don't know, but that's beside the point. Potter, Mum!"

Mrs. Weasley patted Ginny's cheek. "It likely doesn't mean anything, Ginny. I imagine there are a lot of people with that surname. It wouldn't do to get Harry's hopes up. Remember, Dumbledore wasn't aware of any relatives."

Frustrated, Ginny leaned away from the patronizing pat. "Dumbledore isn't infallible, obviously. Just because he wasn't aware of any, doesn't mean there aren't any. Maybe a Squib came over here to start a new life or something. Harry's looking into it. Or, at least, he will be soon. He deserves to know if there's any at all here."

"Of course he does. I would just hate to see him heartbroken and disappointed."

"He understands that the odds are against him. I think he said he's staying 'cautiously optimistic'." Seeing that she wouldn't be interrupting anything if she spoke to her roommates, Ginny introduced them to her mother. "Mum, this is Raven and Amelie."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley. It's nice to meet you." Raven introduced her own mother.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley," Amelie said, her voice carrying the slightest of French accents. "It's nice to meet you."

Ginny was aware that Amelie's mother couldn't come due to a family emergency. She hugged her friend, then explained in a soft voice why Amelie was alone. As Ginny had hoped, her mum gathered Amelie into a fierce hug and declared herself Amelie's mum, too, for the day.

"Oh, _non_. No. I couldn't intrude."

"Nonsense. No one should be alone on a day like today. You can come with us when we tour the classrooms. I insist."

"Thank you."

"So, what does your uniform look like, Ginny? Is it anything like Hogwarts' uniforms?"

Ginny showed off her uniforms and when her mum inquired about the strange double lizard stitching on the jumper, Amelie explained.

"From what I understand, they're crocodiles, not lizards, but they do sort of look like lizards. It's the symbol for Unity in Diversity, which is the school's motto. It shows that everyone is equal here, regardless of color or race. That's what they strive for here anyway." Amelie shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, they do a great job, but, well, it's not a utopia, either. Clashes happen. They're bound to with this many kids together, right?"

"Of course."

Ginny was instantly reminded of the fight Harry had with that one bloke a few days ago. They were still staying away from each other. Yes, as Chris had put it, sometimes someone just rubs you the wrong way. Thankfully, nothing had been said about it to Mr. Becker or Miss Lena. She wasn't about to say anything to her mum, either. To divert the conversation from that topic, Ginny opened the top drawer of her bedside table and pulled out a stack of photos, handing them to her mum.

"These are copies of some of the photos we took along the way. These are for you and Dad. The names of the places are on the backs. We had to use a Muggle camera."

Ginny watched as her mum chuckled, gasped, and smiled her way through the pictures. Mrs. Weasley held one up in particular. "Oh, Ginny, this one is lovely."

Amelie gasped. " _Que c'est beau!_ That's beautiful, Ginny! How have I not seen this?"

Ginny grinned even as she felt her cheeks warm. She knew the exact picture her mother had stopped at; it was the same one she had in a frame on her bedside table. It was a profile shot of her and Harry from about the hip up, slow dancing to one of the earlier songs that evening in Pittsburgh. Their heads were together, eyes closed, with their lips nearly touching. It wouldn't have taken much to close the distance between them if either of them had wanted to. The memory still had the power to make her shiver inside and long to kiss him. They'd been so wrapped up in each other, neither of them had noticed a photographer. Sirius had copies made and, last night, gave one to her and Harry, gave her one for her mum, and kept one for himself. He told them he'd paid someone to take their picture. It was her favorite.

"They were just given to me last night." Raven was looking on with interest, so Ginny passed the photo to her.

"Ginny! Girl, you two make a lovely couple!" She handed the photo back.

"Thanks. I think it's my favorite."

Mrs. Weasley finished going through the pictures. "These are all lovely, dear. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mum. I'm just glad I can finally show them to you." Ginny hugged her mum fiercely, then pulled back. "I think we should probably go rescue Harry from Dad. All those Muggle games in the recreation room, he's probably driving Harry and Sirius mental with all his questions."

"Yes, you're probably right. Let's go get them. Then, you can show us your classrooms." Mrs. Weasley draped an arm around Amelie. To Raven and her mother, she said, "You're more than welcome to join us."

"Oh, thank you, but no. Raven's been coming here since her first year. It's not new to me. We don't live very far away. I just came to make sure she had all she needed. You go ahead."

"Alright, then. It was nice to meet you."

After collecting her father, Sirius, and Harry—her father declaring they needed to get one of the Muggle games he and Harry had been playing—Ginny led everyone out to the back grounds. They completed a circuit of the buildings, Ginny pointing out what they were, before entering the one that housed the classrooms through one of three sets of doors. She and Harry hadn't wanted to say goodbye to their holiday just yet so neither of them had set foot inside the building until now. A lobby ran the length of the building. At each end of the lobby was a corridor and a set of stairs. Through the throng of students, parents and teachers, Ginny could see two doors, a corridor that branched off the lobby forming a T, then two more doors.

The first door led to an office. The plaque next to the doorway read: Elizabeth Ward, Defense Against the Dark Arts. The room next to the office also had a plaque declaring it was the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Tables and chairs currently occupied the room. Ginny hoped they'd get some practical experience.

"Is your professor here? I'd like to meet her."

"I think so, Mum." Ginny looked around the lobby several times before spying their very short professor. With a nod of her head, she indicated the woman. "There she is. She's the short, thin woman with brown hair with a little gray in it that reaches her shoulders."

"The one wearing the blue trousers and pink shirt?" Mrs. Weasley asked, incredulous.

"That's her."

"But … there's nothing to her! How can she possibly teach something as physical as Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Now, Molly. I'm sure she's well qualified for her position," Mr. Weasley soothed.

"You're right. Of course, she is. Let's go speak to her."

As they headed that way, Ginny saw that the room across the T-stem corridor from the Defense classroom was another office, this one belonging to their History of Magic professor, a Mr. Jack Lloyd. She glanced over at the young, blond-haired professor currently talking animatedly with his hands to several parents. She turned to Harry with a grin.

"I think History of Magic might actually be interesting this year."

Harry grinned, too. "I think you're right. Of course, anyone would be better after Binns."

"True."

Once her parents had been able to speak with Mr. Lloyd as well as Mr. Hollis Hadley, their Herbology professor, they wandered deeper into the building looking for other classrooms and professors. Ginny wasn't sure what to make of Mr. Hadley. Oh, he was friendly enough, he just reminded her of Luna in that he came across as somewhat eccentric, telling them some fantastic tales that certainly couldn't be true.

Another long corridor paralleling the lobby separated the front row of offices and classrooms from the others so that it was actually like walking along a sideways H. Deciding to go from left to right, the group ambled over to the first room. Ginny noted that a loo sat behind the stairs along the short corridor she'd noticed when they had first entered the building. The first room turned out to be their Charms classroom. It was set up like a typical classroom. Their professor, Miss Naomi Naveen, waved them in, even as she spoke with other parents.

Ginny had heard some of the older girls talking about their Charms professor, complaining that she was too pretty and that all the boys had a crush on her. Critically, Ginny studied the woman. She had long, chocolate brown hair that she wore loose and deep blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with happiness. It didn't hurt that she was quite fit, either. Mentally shrugging, Ginny turned her attention to Harry, who wasn't even paying their professor any attention.

"What are you thinking?" Ginny whispered.

Harry shrugged. "Not much of anything, really. I guess I keep thinking about how the year has already started at Hogwarts and am wondering how things went. We haven't heard from Hermione or the others, so I'm wondering if things are okay. I can't help thinking Dumbledore likely pulled them into his office and questioned them."

Ginny squeezed his hand. "I'm sure he probably did, but I'm also certain they knew Dumbledore would and were prepared. Maybe they're waiting until things calmed down before getting in touch with us. We'll find out soon enough. Are you worried about Dumbledore showing up here?"

"A little. He doesn't strike me as the type to give up. I almost expect to see him any day now walking through the door and insisting that I return to Hogwarts. Or worse, insist that _you_ go back to Hogwarts."

Sympathy filling her at Harry's words, Ginny let go of his hand so that she could cup his face. Staring into his eyes, she vowed, "That's not going to happen, Harry. He can't make either of us go anywhere or do anything that's against our will, not without getting into some serious trouble."

Harry cracked a grin. "Or some Sirius trouble. You and I both know Sirius wouldn't take too kindly to any of Dumbledore's assertions."

Glad Harry didn't seem as moody, Ginny grinned. "Exactly."

After meeting briefly with the Charms professor, their group skipped the Muggle Studies classroom since neither Ginny nor Harry were taking the course. After the Muggle Studies office came the Transfiguration classroom and their professor, Mr. Mongan Asi, who was of Chitimacha Indian descent, a local Native American population. He wore his dark hair short but for a long thin braid starting high at the back of his head and falling over his right shoulder. Having met him before, Ginny knew his eyes were as dark as his hair. He appeared rather serious and grim, but he was rather quick with a smile and a greeting.

Their Potions Master, Mr. Bruce Philter, welcomed them into the lab. One side of the wall had a cabinet with varying bottles of ingredients along with a long sink for washing out their cauldrons. The room had a high ceiling, likely taking up the space that a classroom would have on the upper floor. There was also a window and what looked to be a fan that Ginny assumed would help air out the room in case of accidents. At the front of the room, stairs led upward to a door. Ginny was certain the door led to the Potion Master's office, just like at Hogwarts, and she wondered if that was some sort of standard practice.

"Potions should be fun this year," Harry commented softly.

"I think so, too," Ginny nodded, watching the tall, reddish-blond man chat with her parents. "It can't be much worse than having Snape as a professor."

Harry snorted. "Imagine this. We go back to Hogwarts and actually can answer any question Snape throws at us, and brew correctly all the potions we're supposed to. Imagine the look on his face."

Ginny couldn't imagine it because she was still stuck on Harry's previous statement about going back to Hogwarts. She stared at Harry in shock. Not once had he ever mentioned going back to Hogwarts after their current year. He hadn't mentioned _anything_ beyond the upcoming year, for that matter.

"You'd want to go back to Hogwarts?" she finally asked.

Harry shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I have to go back some time, don't I? Besides, you should be closer to home."

"Harry, wherever you are, that's home to me."

Harry smiled but went on. "Okay, well, then, maybe I should have said that you deserve to be closer to your family."

"What I deserve is to have a life free from worry, to live as I see fit. That's what we all deserve, and that's what you and I are doing here, learning all we can to help make that a reality."

Harry's smile broadened. "How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?"

Ginny grinned. "Because, believe it or not, I know you, how you think. At least, most of the time I do."

"Ah, that would explain it, then. You're practically in my head. You might want to beware, though. It's not always a nice place to be. Sometimes, things can get rather disturbing in there."

Ginny giggled, loving this playful side of Harry, one he didn't show often. "And that's why you need me," she said loftily. "I can shed a little light and happiness in there, make things all better."

Harry reached up, his expression softening, to caress her cheek with his knuckles. "You certainly do that and so much more."

Ginny shivered at his touch, her heart pounding at the love shining in his electrifying eyes. At that moment, she wished she and Harry were the only two people in the building. Whenever he looked at her like that, she felt the almost overwhelming need to respond nonverbally, to run her hands through his hair and feel him shiver as he often did, to snog him and never stop. That feeling frightened her only slightly.

On more than one occasion, Ginny had wondered if her physical response to him had anything to do with her scars. After all, a werewolf's body tended to age faster. Wouldn't it stand to reason that hers might, too, even though she hadn't been turned? She _did_ exhibit a couple of lycanthropy symptoms, stiffness leading up to the full moon and liking her meat less cooked, for instance. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone she could ask, not anyone who could actually tell her anything other than supposition, at any rate.

Closing her eyes, she leaned into Harry's hand, enjoying the feel of it on her cheek. Breathing deeply, she opened her eyes and whispered, " _T_ _á_ _gr_ _á_ _agam duit._ "

" _I gcónaí, mo shíorghrá._ " _Always, my eternal love._

Ginny beamed, impressed that he'd memorized the entire list of phrases she'd given him. "You haven't used that one before."

"Doesn't mean it isn't true. Besides, I don't want to get boring."

Ginny snorted. "Harry, somehow I doubt _that_ could ever happen."

Ginny's parents decided to wait until lunchtime to meet the other professors, as the upper floor was crowded with students and families. Instead, they walked back into the main house to the rec room as it was called by most of the students. Harry challenged Mr. Weasley in Air Hockey again, stating he hoped to win this time around. Ginny and her mum watched them for a bit. Amelie thanked Mrs. Weasley for letting her tag along before disappearing to the library.

Ginny turned to her mum. "So, what do you think?"

"I think it's an absolutely lovely place, Ginny. I think you'll be in good hands, here. Seeing the dormitory, meeting the professors, it's helped me feel more comfortable with the decision to let you stay here."

"I'm glad, Mum. Harry and I were talking and we're thinking we're going to be learning a lot this year, especially in the subjects of History of Magic and Potions. Hogwarts doesn't exactly have the best professors for those subjects." She looked around at the Muggle games. "Do you want to learn how to play one? I haven't quite gotten the hang of the … what was it called? Oh, yeah, fooseball. Haven't quite learned that one yet, but I can show you the others."

Mrs. Weasley eyed the table games as well as the stack of board games on one of the shelves. She walked over to a green table with a short net stretched across it. "What about this one?"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm not that good, but I can play a little. It's called Ping Pong, or Table Tennis, depending on who you ask."

Ginny retrieved two rounded paddles and the little white plastic ball from the shelf, then instructed her mum on how to play. While, between the two of them, there was only a handful of successful hits on the ball, they still laughed and had a fun time. Occasionally, Ginny glanced over at the pitched battle going on between Harry and her dad. This time, Harry was _not_ taking it easy, yet he was still losing. She chuckled when her dad scored again, making the score now seven to four.

In the end, Ginny and her mum called it quits when the other game finished, Harry losing again. Ginny couldn't pass up the opportunity to do a little mickey-taking. "You lost again? You, whose Seeker reflexes are pretty spectacular?"

Harry shrugged sheepishly. "Your dad was good. Some of those were some crazy bounces off the sides. You've played. You know what I'm talking about."

Grinning, Ginny patted Harry's cheek. "I know. I just couldn't resist."

A short time later, it was time for lunch. Some tables and chairs were set up outside for anyone who preferred to sit there. Sirius, the elder Weasleys, Harry and Ginny chose to remain inside, sat, and chatted with the Arithmancy, Astronomy, and Ancient Runes professors. The Care of Magical Creatures professor was busy taking care of a young foal.

0000

After lunch, some students put on a game of Quodpot down at the pitch for the parents. Harry, intrigued, was eager to watch. Chris had explained what the game entailed a couple days ago, but Harry wanted to see it in action. As he watched the ball, the Quod, get tossed around amongst the twenty-two players, he wondered how anyone ever scored. Then, smoke began to rise from the Quod and the passes became even more desperate. Harry knew from his conversation with Chris that the Quod would explode if it didn't get into the big cauldron of Quod solution at the end of the pitch soon, which was how a team scored. He also knew the player holding the Quod at the time of the explosion was eliminated from the game.

"So, how do they determine a winner?" Mr. Weasley asked. "With Quidditch, the game ends when the Snitch is caught and the winner is the team with the most points, but there's no Snitch in this game."

Not being too clear on the gameplay, Harry shrugged, but Mr. Weasley was overheard and someone explained, "When all the players of one team are eliminated, the game is over. The team with the most points wins. It's like the children's game of Hot Potato, just on a grander, more dangerous scale."

"How is it that the Muggles don't see anything strange?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her eyes still following the game.

"Special wards allow us the freedom to do what we like without having to hide," one of the professors answered.

 _Boom!_ The Quod exploded, forcing the player holding it out of the game. Another Quod was thrown into the game and play resumed. About an hour later, the game finally ended. Harry mentally shrugged. It wasn't a bad sport, but he preferred Quidditch. He loved the challenge of finding and catching that tiny golden ball before the other team's Seeker did.

A fifteen minute interval between the Quodpot game and the upcoming Quidditch game gave the players—the ones who were playing Quidditch too—a chance to rest and grab a drink of water. Within a few minutes, the girls' team had assembled and were huddled together. One of the girls turned around and called for a volunteer to play Chaser.

Harry immediately turned to Ginny. "You should play. They'll be begging for you to join the team once they see how good you are."

Ginny blushed. "Oh, I don't know about that. I'm sure someone will step up to play."

A minute later, the call went out again for one of the girls to play. "Ginny, dear, if you want to play, then go. Don't feel as if you have to stay with your father and me. In fact, we'd like to watch you play."

Ginny still seemed reluctant, so Harry added his own encouragement. "You know you want to play. Go out there and show them how it's done." Seeing that she was on the verge of agreeing, Harry drew the attention of the girl who was wandering the crowd begging one of the female students to play. "Ginny will play!"

The girl ran over, grabbed Ginny, and thanked her profusely. "You saved the show! Do you have a broom?"

"I do. Let me go get it."

"Hey, Harry," Chris called out from somewhere ahead. "The guys need a Seeker! Come play!"

Heat burned in Harry's cheeks as everyone around them turned his way. He ducked his head only to find Ginny smirking up at him. "What do you say, Harry? Think you can beat me?"

"You're on, Weasley. You're going down."

"Race you to the dorms and back!" Ginny shouted as she took off running.

Harry instantly gave chase. Though his stride was longer, Ginny was quicker. Seeing he wasn't going to beat her in a foot race, he slowed to a stop, pulled his wand, and yelled, "Accio Firebolt!"

Ginny stopped between him and the school, glaring at him, her hands on her hips. "You cheated, Potter!"

"I prefer the term _resourceful_! Besides, it may not have even worked! I haven't used it in a while!"

At that moment, a broom sailed out the open back doors, heading straight for Harry. Surprised that it had actually worked from that distance, Harry almost didn't get his hand up in time to stop his broom's flight. As it was, he grabbed it and leaped onto it, almost in one motion. Euphoria hummed through him as it always did when he flew. A triumphant cry behind him had him looking over his shoulder. Ginny's broom had also answered his summons, and Harry realized, in that instant, he'd made two mistakes. One, being that he'd neglected to specify which broom he'd wanted, and two, Ginny was wicked fast on a broom. She'd catch him easily now.

Determined to not go down without a fight, Harry shot forward, lying low against his broom, leading her in tight turns around the school buildings. They buzzed the crowd, looped trees,then flew in and out of the gazebo, smiling broadly. Some time later, Harry remembered they were supposed to be down on the pitch, putting on a game for the parents. He led Ginny back, heart pounding and breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush, sheepishly apologizing for his lack of manners.

"Harry, if you Seek as well as you fly," the captain of the blokes' team said, "then we'll be unstoppable! Please, don't apologize!"

Glancing across the pitch, Harry could see Ginny being complimented on her flying with hugs and pats on the back. Her place here seemed to have been firmly cemented and it made him feel proud … relieved … happy.

"Yo, Harry!" Someone snapped their fingers in front of Harry's face, drawing his gaze. "Stop staring at your girlfriend. In fact, at this moment, she's _not_ your girlfriend; she's your opponent."

Another of the blokes agreed. "Exactly. Right now, she'd like nothing better than to show you up, so you need to focus on the objective, here: to win." He gave Harry a grin and a wink.

Harry grinned. "Right. So, what's our strategy?"

In all honesty, Harry could have caught the Snitch on four separate occasions before he finally did catch it; he had simply wanted to prolong the game, so he had let it go. He had to admit, they had impressed him with their knowledge and skill of a game that wasn't as popular over here. They weren't any competition for one of the Hogwarts teams, obviously, but they had done fairly well. As they landed, the captain begged Harry to be on the team.

"I can't make any commitments, but I'll certainly play as much as I can."

"Fair enough."

"Nice Summoning Charm, Harry. I look forward to seeing what else you're capable of in class."

Harry met their Charms teacher's gaze, with a slight shrug. "I'm surprised it worked from that distance. I practiced it last year and was able to make it work for shorter distances. Just lucky, I suppose, especially since there could have been more than two Firebolts in the school."

Her brows jumped. "You studied it last year? I'm impressed. We normally don't study it until this year. I'm glad you recognize your potentially critical error. It worked out this time, but next time, it may be a disaster. It's imperative to be specific when using the Summoning Charm."

"I'll remember that."

"Still quite the feat though. I'm very impressed."

Harry blushed at the praise, a pleased grin stretching his lips wide. After much back slapping, the blokes all left. Chris stepped up and playfully punched Harry's arm.

"Is my memory faulty, or do I remember you saying you could, and I quote, 'hold your own' when I asked you how good you were? That was some _amazing_ flying!"

"That's Harry for you, always playing down his abilities and accomplishments."

Harry turned his attention to Ginny, who had just joined them. "Would you rather I brag and sound pompous like Malfoy?"

Ginny wrapped an arm around his waist. "Of course I don't, Harry. That doesn't mean that you should pretend you're something you're not, though, either."

Harry simply shrugged. Though he'd always received praise from Uncle Remus, getting it from others still made him slightly uncomfortable, even when it came from Sirius or Ginny, a holdover no doubt from how he grew up. Maybe one day getting praise wouldn't embarrass him so much, but that day wasn't today.

Deciding it was time to get the focus off of him, he said, "Ginny, you were brilliant, naturally. Unless I'm mistaken, and I don't think I am, you scored quite a lot of those points."

Ginny shook her head sadly, the look in her eyes telling him she knew he was deflecting the attention away from himself once again. As she always did, she let it go. Harry knew he was in for it later, though. Usually when he minimized an accomplishment or skill, Ginny spent thirty minutes later that same day extolling the things about him that she loved in the hopes that he'd grow accustomed to hearing the praise, or so she'd once told him. While highly embarrassing, coming from Ginny, the praise was getting easier to take.

"So, what did you think of Quodpot?" Chris asked, apparently picking up on the slight tension between them and changing the subject. "I know it's not as popular in England."

Harry shrugged. "It was different. It seemed a bit crowded with the extra players, but I wouldn't object to playing a bit. Though, the one you'd really want to play with is Ginny since tossing and catching the ball is more her expertise than mine."

"Wonderful flying, both of you!" Sirius exclaimed once he, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley reached them. "Ginny, congratulations on the scoring. If it weren't for you, the girls would have been woefully behind."

Ginny grinned proudly, her cheeks taking on a slight pinkish hue, which Harry found incredibly cute, not to mention funny since she was always onto him about accepting praise. She certainly deserved it after that little bit of flying. More than once he'd had to tell himself to look for the Snitch, not for Ginny.

Harry nodded goodbye to Chris as the other boy walked away. Harry had learned from Chris earlier that his parents weren't coming this year, and Chris had admitted to being glad. From what Harry could gather, Chris was a bit embarrassed by his parents, or maybe Chris felt he was too old to have his parents around. When he'd first heard Chris mention it, Harry had been angry that his friend had felt that way, and perhaps a bit jealous as well, jealous that Chris had parents to be embarrassed over to begin with. Then Harry had thought about it and realized that that kind of normalcy was exactly the reason he was fighting in the first place.

After quick showers, as he and Ginny were sweaty from their game, Harry learned that he and Ginny—along with any other students with family present—were allowed to walk two blocks south to Magazine Street, which was where the students were allowed to go on some weekends, just like students at Hogwarts were allowed to go to Hogsmeade. Magazine Street, Sirius explained, was known for its six-mile stretch of shops, with everything from clothing, to books, jewelry, sweets, and cafes.

"I'm told," Sirius went on to say, "that if you can't find it on Magazine Street, then you can't find it anywhere. So, what do you say? Interested in looking around?"

Harry knew Mr. Weasley's answer before the man ever spoke a word. Mr. Weasley's fascination with Muggles was quite well-known amongst the family and close friends. He exchanged glances with Ginny. She was just as excited to go as her dad was.

"Can we, please?" she begged. "Hermione's birthday is coming up soon and I want to find something for her."

What was that about? They had some things for Hermione that they'd picked up on their travels. Confusion written all over his face, he started to ask Ginny what she was on about when she threw him a warning look, one he easily interpreted as _Don't say a word._ Harry's confusion cleared when Mrs. Weasley agreed to go, saying it wouldn't be nice to forget a birthday. With raised brows, Harry grinned at Ginny. She'd exploited one of Mrs. Weasley's greatest weaknesses, that of wanting everyone to feel loved and appreciated.

Once the decision was settled and the teens had grabbed their money bags, the five of them walked down the main drive to the street. Harry took Ginny's hand in his, leaned close, and whispered, "Nice work."

Ginny shrugged, but grinned proudly. "I learned from the best," she said.

Harry had no doubt about that. Her twin brothers were definitely sneaky gits when they wanted to be. Luckily for him, he got along well with them. That didn't mean, however, that he'd blindly trust either of them, especially when it came to food or drinks. He'd seen enough of their brilliant inventiveness to have learned that lesson well.

"If this is where the students go on those special weekends," Mrs. Weasley began to ask as she looked from shop to shop, "then how do they get the … other items … needed for school?"

Sirius looked around a moment, found what he was looking for, then motioned for them to follow him towards one of the shops nearby. Harry knew they'd entered a Wizarding shop the instant they stepped inside. Shelves of the most common items, parchment, ink, quills, a few potions ingredients, and sweets littered the floor. On the walls hung various t-shirts with shelves underneath them stocked with the shirts on display. Another short shelf held a mix of Wizarding and Muggle books. By the door, a stand contained copies of what appeared to be a newspaper.

A short man with dark hair, brown eyes, and light brown skin greeted them in a slight Southern and French accent . " _Bienvenue!_ Welcome! Are you here for Parents' Day?"

Sirius indicated Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "They are. I'm staying at the school."

"You must be Black, then. Lena told me about you and your charges." He looked to Harry a long moment, then to Ginny.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roux." Again, Sirius indicated the elder Weasleys. "These are Ginny's parents. Molly, Arthur, this is Lena's husband, Alexandre."

The man stuck out his hand. "Please, call me Alex. Only Lena calls me Alexandre, and only when I'm in serious trouble."

So, this was Miss Lena's husband. He hadn't been around the school, or at least not when Harry was out of his room. Harry wondered why for only a minute before Mr. Roux explained he'd been so busy with the shop, getting it well-stocked for the upcoming year that he hadn't much time to relax. Harry found Mr. Roux's gaze on him once again, those dark eyes studying him. He seemed to nod to himself as if satisfied about something before briefly studying Ginny. Then, he returned his attention to Ginny's parents, responding to one of Mrs. Weasley's questions.

"I stock all the most common Wizarding items. However, if there's something you need that I don't have, you can go to _Magic, Inc._ from here via Portkey." He pointed to a shelf filled with little colored glass globes behind his counter. "It's a timed Portkey. The colors indicate how long you have before it returns you here."

"Ingenious!" Mr. Weasley remarked.

Harry wasn't all too sure he wanted to try taking a Portkey through those wards, not after what happened after Apparating through them. Granted, Side-Along Apparating always made him nauseous whereas Portkeying usually didn't. Harry just wasn't sure if he wanted to know if it was a different experience. He'd just make sure he had what he needed or ask Sirius to get it for him.

They said goodbye to Mr. Roux and exited the shop. "Alright, Harry, Ginny, for future reference, this is as far this direction you can go. The shops continue that way," Sirius indicated past the direction they'd come, "but you may not cross this street." He motioned to the street they'd followed to get to where they were. "This street is your western border. You have six blocks from here that you may visit. If you can't find what you're looking for within those six blocks, then you'll have to rely on Owl Ordering something. Understood?"

"Yes, but how would they know if someone went past either border?"

Sirius scratched his head. "I don't know. Lena didn't tell me that. I assume it's some sort of Wizarding alarm or detector or something."

"Should we be discussing such things out here in the open?" Mrs. Weasley inquired, anxiously looking around them.

"Ordinarily, I'd agree with you, but I've been told that there's a type of Notice-Me-Not Charm on this area in front of the shop. Muggles don't see the shop, nor do they hear anything out of the ordinary spoken in this area. Now, once we leave the front of the shop, yes, we'll need to take care about what we say. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't other Wizarding shops along this street; there are. In fact, a Wizarding shop marks the easternmost border. Well, shall we wander?"

Mindful of the fact that it was evening back home and that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had been awake six hours longer than the rest of them, they didn't stay out very long, just long enough to get an idea of what was around. As they walked, they passed a restaurant that seemed to call to Harry. Maybe it was the name: Wolf Harbor. Whatever it was, Harry seemed unable to keep his eyes from wandering in that direction and he swore he'd find out more about it as soon as he could. The full dining room indicated the restaurant was quite popular.

Harry felt the hand in his give a gentle squeeze. He looked down at Ginny to see her watching him closely. He smiled softly. "I'm fine, just curious about that place. I feel … I don't know, I can't explain it, but it's a nice feeling. Every time I look at the place, I feel it."

Ginny glanced over at the others to see if they'd overheard anything. Sirius and Mrs. Weasley were too busy shushing Mr. Weasley over his exclamations of admiration towards the Muggles that they weren't paying either of the teens any attention. Ginny smiled up at him.

"Well, then, I guess we'll have to go there as soon they allow us out, then, won't we?"

Harry grinned in response. "Yeah, I guess we will."

The quintet walked around a short while, Ginny finding some nice stationery with a large faded Live Oak tree with hanging Spanish Moss on each page, and Harry picking up a shirt that read _My friends went to New Orleans and all I got was this lousy shirt,_ then returned to the school. Sirius said he had planned on taking Ginny's parents to Magic Inc. before their Portkey took them home to the Burrow, but they'd run out of time.

Once again, Harry felt sorry for the tearful farewell between Ginny and her parents, so it surprised him completely when Mr. Weasley hugged him and pat him on his back. "Harry, take care of yourself—and let Ginny help you. I'd ask you to take care of Ginny, but I'm fairly certain I don't have to say a word on that."

"No, sir, you don't, though she's more than capable of taking care of herself."

Mr. Weasley nodded, smiling slightly. "And that, son, is why I believe you and she will be just fine."

Harry blushed spectacularly as Mr. Weasley stepped over to his daughter. While it was really embarrassing to hear that from his girlfriend's father, it was comforting to Harry to know that Mr. Weasley had such confidence in them. Mrs. Weasley took Mr. Weasley's place and hugged Harry.

"Harry, dear, thank you." Leaning back, she cupped his cheek. "You've given Ginny more than we ever could. Now, after having seen this place and having met the people, I feel much better about our decision to let her come here. It saddens me to say this, but I think Ginny needs this, to get away from Hogwarts and the memories there, to finally put them to rest. You've done wonders for her already. I think this school year will be a good one for you both."

"Molly, we need to go. Our Portkey will be activating in just a minute or two."

Mrs. Weasley acknowledged her husband with a nod. Harry could see tears brimming in the woman's eyes, but she smiled nonetheless. "Take care of each other. Learn a lot. Maybe we can arrange another Portkey to come at Christmas."

Harry watched them walk the short distance to the designated Portkey area. Beside him, Ginny waved, tears rolling down her face. Harry couldn't be sure, but he thought they were happy tears; she was smiling at any rate. He amended that thought when Ginny tore off after her parents. Just as she gave her mum a hug, the Portkey activated, whisking them away.

"No! Ginny!"

"Don't worry, Harry, we'll get her back."

Harry looked up at his godfather, fear pinching his features. "She was upset to see them go. Do you think … do you think maybe she decided she didn't want to stay after all?"

Sirius turned to face him, looking in square in the eye. "No, I don't. She loves you, Harry. She wouldn't leave you. This was a simple accident. She wanted to give her mum one last hug and got caught by the Portkey. That's all. I'm going to go down to the Ministry, see if I can get an emergency Portkey. I'll be back soon, with Ginny in tow. I promise."

"Okay." Harry still wasn't overly sure that Ginny hadn't changed her mind.

Sirius must have picked up on it for he gently squeezed Harry's shoulder. "Believe me, she'll be back. You have to believe in _her._ "

"But she yelled at me at breakfast and was crying just now—not just a few tears, either. She's yelled at me before, and I've seen her cry, but not like this. This time, she was more … emotional."

Sirius pulled Harry away from the constant stream of people coming in and out the front door. "Er, Harry, Ginny's a girl and, well, girls get a little emotional from time to time. They can scold you in one breath and say sweet nothings in the next breath. Sometimes, they'll cry at nothing at all. It's all a part of being a girl, and it's _our_ job, as blokes, to put up with it and to not mention it when it happens, or we'll suffer the consequences. After all, it's the whole package that attracts us, right?"

"If you say so. I just don't remember Ginny being quite so …" Harry struggled to find the right word.

"Mental?" Sirius supplied. "I'm sure, if you gave it some thought, you'd remember a few times in which Ginny was a bit … harsh … with you."

Harry thought over his dealings with Ginny over the past year, discovering there _were_ the occasional times when she seemed to lash out at him with her wicked temper, their argument that resulted in him being hexed being one of those times. And yes, there were a few times where it seemed she looked ready to cry over the simplest of things. There hadn't been that many instances of either thing happening, thankfully.

"Okay, yeah, I suppose there were," Harry responded out loud. He looked up at Sirius to find his godfather staring uncomfortably down at him. "What?"

"Er, Harry, I just had an awful thought. Exactly how much about girls did Remus tell you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, er, their physical changes and things of that nature."

Sirius' face flushed with color as did Harry's. They were touching on some very awkward ground here. Harry cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair. "Well, he told me about, you know, the obvious stuff, babies and … and …" That was all Harry could get out.

"And the less obvious stuff?"

Harry groaned, feeling his entire body flush with embarrassment. "Sirius, do we have to talk about this?"

"I think we do. I can't believe Remus didn't discuss this with you. I'm going to make it short and sweet, though. For one week a month, girls tend to get a little more emotional or irrational than usual. It has to do with their hormones. Okay, done."

"Good. Now, go get Ginny back. And for the record, I think he was going to. He did say there was more he wanted to tell me. He just never did."

"Right. Now, don't be surprised if I don't bring Ginny back until morning. It's late there, remember."

Harry didn't like the idea of not seeing Ginny until morning, but there was little he could do about it. "Yeah, okay."

Harry watched Sirius walk away. Loneliness suddenly swamped him, a loneliness so extreme Harry could barely breathe. His gaze drifted to his surroundings, landing on groups of students laughing and having a good time. For all the friendliness that they displayed, Harry was still an outsider, but then, that was nothing new. He'd been an outsider all his life, never fitting in anywhere. As he continued looking around, Harry found himself longing for familiarity. Thinking he could, perhaps, talk to Hermione, Harry hurried off to find either of Ginny's roommates.

After convincing Raven to check Ginny's shelf or beside table for the mirror, he waited impatiently for her return, pacing in front of the corridor that led to the girls' wing. The idea of talking with Hermione, and perhaps finding out Dumbledore's reaction to them being gone, built inside him until it was nearly overwhelming. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline making his hands shake and his breathing quicken.

The dark-haired girl returned, her expression hitting him like a Bludger to his chest. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't see it. I didn't feel right going through any of the drawers."

"No, that's okay. Thanks for looking."

Wanting to howl at the injustice of it all, Harry shuffled out into the heat. Ginny's absence left a gaping hole inside him. His head knew she would be back soon—at least most of it did. There _was_ still that niggling doubt. His heart kept repeating one thing: Ginny wasn't with him. He already missed her infectious laughter, her tender responses to him. He even missed her temper! Harry hoped she wasn't gone long. Ginny was all that was good and light in his world, and he knew for certain he wouldn't be able to function long without her around. She reminded him of what exactly they were fighting for.

Dropping down onto one of the benches in the gazebo on the front grounds, Harry sighed morosely, and stared off into the distance as if he could somehow see her at the Burrow but couldn't speak to her, nor touch her. He didn't know how long he sat there before approaching footsteps registered in his brain. Turning, he saw Miss Lena nearly upon him. It surprised him a bit when she asked if she could join him, so he motioned for her to go ahead.

"Sirius told me what happened. He'll bring her back as soon as he can."

Harry lifted his leg to his chest, placing his heel on the bench seat, his right hand rubbing at his knee, his ring Morse-coding in the sunlight behind him peeking through the gazebo. "I know he will."

"It doesn't feel like it, though, does it?"

Harry's gaze flew to his Headmistress. "I'm just being stupid. I know that I am."

"Nonsense. For those lucky enough to love deeply, being separated is a nearly unbearable thing, no matter how long or short the separation." At Harry's expression of shock, she chuckled. "You kids aren't the only ones capable of loving, _ch_ _é_ _ri._ "

"I suppose not. I guess I'm just not used to people understanding exactly how I feel. Not to mention the fact that you act as if it isn't inconceivable for someone my age to actually love someone."

"' _We're all a little weird,"_ she began to quote. "' _And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.'_ That's one of my favorite quotes because it is very true."

For the first time since Ginny disappeared, Harry felt one corner of his mouth turn upward just a bit. "Yeah, I have to agree with whoever said it. Though, I don't know that I'd describe my life as being weird. _Lonely_ is the word I'd choose. Well, until I met Ginny, anyway."

"' _The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds …'"_

"Exactly! That's exactly how Ginny makes me feel!"

"And I'm sure she feels the same about you. Well, I've probably kept you from your thoughts long enough. If you need anything, come see me. Feel the need to talk? Come see me."

"Thanks," Harry said, feeling slightly better. "I will."

After Miss Lena left, Harry wandered the grounds, hands stuffed into his pockets, until Chris caught up with him and challenged him to another game of pool, claiming Harry was one up on him and he wanted the chance to even the score. Harry's automatic response was to decline, but he accepted instead, thinking he shouldn't push his friends away. Ginny certainly wouldn't want him to. With her imagined voice ringing approval in his head, Harry followed Chris into the game room.

0000

"No! Harry!" Ginny spun out her mother's embrace. "I have to get back to Harry!"

"I don't know if that's possible, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said.

Ginny whirled around to face her mother, her cheeks reddening, eyes blazing as her temper spiked. "Tell me you didn't plan for this. Please tell me this was not your intent all along."

"Now, see here, young lady!"

"Ginny," Mr. Weasley cut in, "we did not mean for this to happen. Of course, we didn't. If you'll recall, you came to us. You knew the Portkey was seconds away from activating. Are you certain _you_ didn't plan for this?"

"Of course I didn't! My place is with Harry! He's going to be so worried! He's probably going to think I _had_ intentionally left him! I have to get back there! School starts in two days!"

"I'm sure Harry will be just fine without you for a while, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley countered.

"You don't understand. Deep down, he's still very insecure. He still struggles with the idea that people actually like him. The few serious disagreements we've had, he apologized profusely, practically begging me to forgive him." Ginny sniffled as tears formed in her eyes. "He reminds me of an abused puppy, afraid to hope for a friendly touch, yet unable to do anything else."

Mr. Weasley wrapped an arm around Ginny. "I'm sure Sirius is working on things, even as we speak. It's late. Why don't we go on up to bed? Sirius probably won't be able to do anything until tomorrow anyway."

Ginny wiped her eyes. "I'm going to make a sandwich since I'll be missing dinner."

She ate quickly, then vaguely bid her parents good night and climbed the familiar stairs to her familiar bedroom door. Stepping inside, she shut said door, then dropped onto her once-familiar bed. It felt odd being back home after all the traveling she'd done, all the rooms she'd stayed in and beds she'd slept in. In all honesty, she felt as if this room belonged to a younger, less worldly Ginny. There was something about the room that simply screamed naiveté, even after all she'd gone through in her first Hogwarts year. Maybe it was just her own perspective coloring how she viewed the bedroom, but she didn't feel as if she belonged in this room any longer, and that saddened her somewhat.

Climbing under the blanket, Ginny huddled there. "I'm coming back, Harry," she murmured, "just as soon as I can. Please don't think that I left on purpose."

Though she wasn't the least bit tired, Ginny lay there, listening to the settling of the house, the ghoul in the attic, all the normal sounds of silence. She missed Harry dreadfully, regardless of the fact that she hadn't been gone but for a few minutes, all the miles she knew to be between them like huge canyons impossible to cross. It wasn't a feeling she liked much at all, and she hoped Sirius could soon get the necessary Portkey to take her back there.

She wasn't sure how long she lay in bed, but after a while, she sighed and paced her room. She was bored. She couldn't sleep, she'd taken all her books with her so there was nothing to read. Ginny walked over to her desk and randomly pulled out drawers in the hopes that something would miraculously be there. Imagine her surprise when she actually found something.

The book she found was barely longer than her hand, bound in dragon hide from a Welsh Green that had died of old age. Her brother Charlie had gifted the diary to her before her first year at Hogwarts. She hadn't written much in it as she'd begun writing in Riddle's diary by that point and had been excited to have a book respond to her. Ginny shuddered at how naive she'd been. Taking the dragon-hide diary back to her bed, she sat and opened it. She smiled at the first page. It was full of doodles about Harry: HP + GW, GW heart HP, Mrs. Harry Potter, H lightning bolt P. They were doodles of a young girl fascinated with a storybook hero. The next few pages had similar drawings. The last page she'd written on contained her thoughts on Harry, where he was, what he was doing, along with hopes that he wasn't too sad about losing his parents.

Overcome with the sudden urge to write, Ginny crept down the stairs, automatically skipping the creaky step, and rummaged around in the low light for quill and ink. Walking over to the table, she lit several candles and carried them to the sitting room. She pulled the low table in front of the sofa out a bit and dropped onto the floor with her back to the sofa. Settling in, she inked her quill and began to write.

Hours later, her hand cramping, back aching, and bum numb, Ginny put down her quill, stretched and yawned. The fire had long since gone out, leaving a few embers smoldering in the hearth. One glance at the clock told her it was four o'clock in the morning, ten o'clock at night back in New Orleans. Closing her book, Ginny struggled to her feet, found a spare bit of parchment and wrote out a note to her mum, asking not to be awakened early so that her sleep patterns weren't interrupted. Leaving the note on the kitchen table, she retrieved her book, blew out the candles and headed for the stairs.

As she passed her mum's special clock, she noticed her hand pointed to _Traveling_ , rather than to _Home_. Ginny wasn't sure what to make of that. She stood, rooted to the spot, thinking over what the clock was telling her. She understood why it didn't point to _School;_ she wasn't _at_ school. Why _Traveling_ rather than _Home_? Pondering it for several minutes, Ginny came to the conclusion that it was the simple fact that she didn't see herself as being home anymore. When she thought of home, Harry immediately came to mind. She smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. Then, her expression turned fierce. She knew she was in for it when her mum noticed. With any luck, however, she'd be gone before her mum even noticed.

Taking in a deep breath, Ginny crept back up the stairs to her room. Afraid to leave the book out where it could be seen by anyone, she slipped it under her pillow _,_ then lay down. Despite being tired, it took her several minutes to fall asleep in a bed she hadn't slept in for over three weeks.

0000

When Ginny next opened her eyes, the sun was well up. Footsteps climbed the stairs and stopped outside her bedroom door.

"Ginny, dear? It's noon. You need to get up now and have some lunch. Or I can make you some breakfast if you wish."

"Thanks, Mum, for letting me sleep. I think breakfast would be nice." Ginny yawned, stretched, then rubbed her eyes. "Have you heard from Sirius yet?"

Ginny's door opened, admitting her mother. "No, but your father thought it may take some time. He thought there was a chance their Ministry may want to contact ours to make sure you weren't being taken against your will."

Adrenaline woke her instantly and she stared, horrified, at her mother. "Mum, they can't know!"

Mrs. Weasley sat on Ginny's bed and patted Ginny's knee, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry. It'll be handled. It just so happens that Sirius has a cousin who's an Auror. Your father is filling her in on things so that she can intercept that Floo call and make it all official. And who knows? Maybe she'll call them first."

"I hope so. I like being here, but I'm anxious to get back there. I'm worried about how Harry's coping. I know you think he's fine, and I hope he is, but I can't help worrying."

"It's good of you to be concerned, but there's not much that can be done right this minute. Get up and come on down. I'm thinking you won't be here much longer – a couple hours at most." Mrs. Weasley patted Ginny's knee again. "Come on. You can help me make a treacle tart to take back to Harry, a miniature one."

"Okay, Mum. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Once her mum left, Ginny climbed out of bed, finger-combed her hair as best she could, then wrapped it up in a bun on her head, securing it with her wand. It wasn't perfect, and it likely would collapse in short order, but it would have to do. Stepping down the hall, she washed as best she could. She eyed the shower longingly, but settled for a Freshening Charm from her mum once she was downstairs. She ate her breakfast of eggs, sausages, and toast. Then, under the watchful eye of her mother, Ginny started on Harry's favorite thing for pudding.

Carefully, Ginny made the dough. While it normally had to sit in cold storage for a couple hours, Mrs. Weasley cast a charm on it so they didn't have to wait. Once it was rolled out and placed in the pan, Ginny rolled out the batch of dough she'd made for the lattice-work top, cutting it into strips. Again, Mrs. Weasley cast the Cooling Charm on both doughs.

Once Ginny had made the tart's filling, she added it to the dough in the pan, then placed the strips over the top at angles to each other, creating a diamond pattern. She brushed the top with a mix of egg yolk and cream. The tart assembled, it was put in to bake.

"You did that very well, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley complimented her.

Ginny smiled over her shoulder at her mum, washing her hands of excess flour. "Thanks, Mum. I learned from the best."

"Thank you, dear. And look, it's nearly two o'clock! I think we'll be seeing Sirius soon."

Ginny tried not to look excited at the prospect of returning to America and to Harry; she didn't want to hurt her mum's feelings. When her mum smiled softly in her direction, Ginny knew she hadn't been very successful.

"You don't have to hide your excitement from me, Ginny. I know you're anxious to get back there."

Ginny dried her hands and joined her mum at the table. "Sorry. I didn't want you to think that I didn't want to be here."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Ginny, you're growing up. You're not going to want to spend every moment at home anymore. I know that, and can understand it. I was anxious to get out of my mother's house, too. It's only natural."

"Thanks, Mum, for understanding."

As the tart baked, filling the kitchen with its sweet aroma, Ginny talked about her expectations for her classes, what she hoped to learn, how she hoped the professors taught. Before long, the tart was ready to be brought out of the oven. Again under her mum's watchful eye, Ginny took out the finished tart and set it in the window to cool.

"You did a good job with that, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, eyeing the tart. "Harry will love it."

Ginny grinned proudly. "Thanks." She'd watched her mum make the tart many times, and had even helped, but she'd never done the entire thing on her own – until now.

A knock on the front door froze the two of them. Mrs. Weasley hastily, yet quietly, ushered Ginny out the back door. "Just in case it's Dumbledore looking for you again. Listen at the window. If it is, run off toward the pond. I'll come get you when it's safe to come back."

Ginny squatted underneath the kitchen window, back braced against the wall, muscles tensed, ready to run if necessary. The voice that reached her ears, however, was the one she'd been anticipating since she'd accidentally returned to the Burrow the night before. Wasting no time, she ran into the kitchen and straight into Sirius' arms.

"I'm so glad you're here!"

Amused, Sirius said, "I can see that. Sorry it took so long." Sirius rolled his eyes. "The Ministry there insisted on checking with ours to make sure you weren't being taken forcefully." He looked over at Mrs. Weasley. "Nice thinking to use Tonks as the contact, by the way."

"Arthur thought it best if she could be the one to respond to the Fire Call."

Sirius nodded his agreement as Ginny stepped away from him, looking up at him anxiously. "How's Harry? He doesn't think I purposefully left him, does he?"

"I don't know if he seriously thought it. He may have had a few doubts, though. I know he was quite depressed when I came back to the school and told him you weren't going to be coming back right away. Eventually, he perked up enough to have a bit of fun with some friends. He does miss you, barely ate at breakfast. When I left, he was working in the Care of Magical Creatures stables, helping clean out stalls or something."

"I've missed him, too. I assume we're going back by Portkey. When is it set to activate?"

"Yes, we are going back by Portkey and it'll activate as soon as I tap it with my wand. So, are you ready to go? I don't mean to rush, but I feel like we're tempting Fate the longer we're here. Besides, as I stated before, there's a certain someone who's very anxious to see you again."

Running to the window to gather the cooling tart into a towel, she then rushed back to Sirius. "I'm ready. I made Harry a treacle tart."

Sirius barked out a laugh. "Learned already have you that if you feed a bloke his favorites, then he'll keep coming back for more?"

Ginny blushed at Sirius' teasing. Mrs. Weasley jumped up, hurried over to the counter where half of an apple pie sat, wrapped it up in a towel, and handed it to Sirius.

"Thank you, Sirius, for watching out for them both. Arthur and I can't repay you enough."

"You don't have to repay me, Molly, but I'm certainly not going to turn down any of your cooking, especially your pies. I wasn't entirely jesting when I said a bloke keeps returning when given his favorites."

"Oh, you!" Mrs. Weasley waved a hand at him, smiling. "Now, off with you. I don't want to keep Harry waiting."

After giving her mum a final hug, Ginny left the Burrow with Sirius for the second time in less than a month. Outside the protective wards, Sirius produced their Portkey: a pencil. Ginny took hold of the eraser end, while Sirius took the sharpened end in his left hand, tapping the middle of the pencil with his wand. The tug behind her navel took her a bit by surprise, not because of the tug itself, but because of the severity of it. She felt as if her stomach was being pulled through her skin! Like a rocket, she left the ground, her long plait whipping violently in the howling wind, the pressure making it hard to draw breath. Dizzying kaleidoscopic colors swirled before her eyes. Ginny closed them tightly in hopes of warding off a headache.

Just as her lungs began to hurt from lack of oxygen, she slammed painfully into the ground. She lay there catching her breath as her other senses caught up. The thick carpet of grass cradled her comfortably. Birds sang overhead. Scents from the roses, jasmines, four o'clocks, and the nearby magnolia trees drifted in on a light breeze, making her smile. She was home.


	12. Listen to Your Heart

_**Trust your instincts, and make judgments on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.**_

 ** _-David Gemmell, Fall of Kings_**

Suddenly energized, Ginny jumped up, thanked Sirius for going through all the trouble to bring her back, then rushed off in the direction of the stables where Sirius had last seen Harry. She couldn't wait to see him again, despite the fact she'd seen him just yesterday. She hoped what Sirius had said was true, and that Harry _had_ been able to have some fun. Well, she'd know soon enough.

Her smile widened as she drew close enough to hear Harry's crooning voice as he talked to some creature. Just outside the open stable door, Ginny stopped and took a moment to catch her breath, to calm her racing heart. When she had gained some control, she stepped inside and paused to let her eyes adjust to the darker interior, even though sunlight streamed in and lamps were lit on the walls.

Once she could see clearly, she saw Chris a short distance away, manually sweeping the dust from the wooden floor. Harry's voice drifted to her from somewhere beyond Chris but she couldn't see him. Chris' back was to her and she started to speak up when he turned, saw her and smiled. He quickly motioned for her to remain quiet. He glanced over his shoulder before stealing over to her.

"Nice to see you're back," he whispered. "Harry's missed you. I'm going to take a quick bathroom break, give you time to yourselves for a few minutes." Chris pointed towards the end of the stable. "He's in the last stall, currently brushing a Granian, a new mother who has taken a liking to him."

Again, before Ginny could respond, Chris called out to let Harry know he would be alone for a few minutes. Chris winked at Ginny when Harry acknowledged Chris' announcement. As quietly as she could, Ginny made her way toward the stall Harry occupied, barely breathing, hoping Harry's sensitive hearing didn't pick up her approach, completely ignoring the other creatures in the stable. She couldn't wait to see Harry's expression when she made her presence known to him.

Reaching the last stall, she peeked in – and nearly gave herself away. Harry had his back to her, standing on a wooden crate so that he could fully brush the gray, overlarge winged horse, talking softly to the mare. All that Ginny could actually see of her boyfriend was his mop of messy hair and his lower legs and feet. The rest of him was hidden behind one wing, though she figured it could be worse. He could be completely hidden by an Abraxan's wing. Thank Merlin for small favors! She quietly set the treacle tart on the floor beside her.

Casually leaning against the wall, Ginny folded her arms across her chest. "Should I be concerned, Harry? Stepping out on me already?"

An instant silence followed her words. Then, the brush Harry had been using clattered as it bounced off the wooden crate and onto the floor. His head popped out from behind the horse's wing, absolute joy lighting his face. It was an expression Ginny knew she would never forget.

"You're back!"

0000

All day, Harry had tried to keep his mind off Ginny. What was she doing? Was she alright? He missed having her close. He had actually found himself grateful for this odd holiday. Rather than sitting idle and brooding about what he couldn't immediately change, he'd been kept busy out in the stable. For the most part, the labor successfully kept his mind from wandering, with only the occasional lapse in his focus. It had been a little better when Chris had come to join him. They'd talked and laughed as they'd worked.

Now, however, Harry found himself alone again as he brushed the Granian mare, making sure to get up under her wing. He smiled when she exhaled a deep fluttering breath.

"Feel better, do you? That's good. Wouldn't want you out of sorts with that little one to keep up with."

Chris had teased him about the apparent attachment the mare had, but Harry didn't mind. He'd actually responded by telling Chris what Ginny had told _him_ once: Horses were rather excellent at sensing a person's intentions, and perhaps, even their characters. In Harry's opinion, a magical horse would be the same.

His movements slowed as his thoughts centered on Ginny again, but the mare shifted her weight, gently bumping him to get him moving once more. "Sorry, Fráliga. I'm not very focused today. You see, my girlfriend is due back at some point today, and I can't wait to see her again. I mean, I just saw her yesterday, but it seems like she's been gone much longer than that." The mare carefully lifted her wing and pulled Harry against her in what could only be interpreted as a hug.

Then, the sweetest voice Harry had ever heard jerked him away from the mare, and caused him to drop the brush he'd been using. Had he heard right? Surely he hadn't imagined the sound of Ginny's voice. Harry managed to look past the Granian's wing. Ginny leaned against the doorway to the stall, her arms over her chest as she watched him with brows raised. What had she said? Harry decided it didn't really matter. Ginny was back!

"You're back!"

Elation surged inside, kicking his pulse into high gear. Leaping off the crate, Harry reached Ginny in a few long strides, enthusiastically wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her. Eventually, breathing became necessary, so he ended the kiss, letting his forehead fall to hers.

"I missed you," he whispered, "more than I thought was possible." Harry inhaled deeply, her flowery scent comforting him.

"I missed you, too, Harry. It seemed like I could actually _feel_ every mile between us, and it wasn't pleasant. Harry, I hope you don't think I intentionally left you."

Harry squirmed a bit but didn't move away from her. He couldn't make himself let go of her – not yet. "I did, at first, and I'm really sorry. I should never have doubted you. Please don't be mad at me."

Harry felt Ginny's hands slide out from around his waist and he sighed, thinking he'd pushed her too far this time. He actually startled when he felt those small hands cup his face. When he opened his eyes, he found her watching him, compassion and love shining in her bright brown ones.

"Of course I'm not angry with you, Harry. Why would I be? Because of a moment of doubt? I'm not a fickle girlfriend. My heart doesn't work that way. Once it's given, it's given forever. Now and forever, Harry, you have my heart."

Harry couldn't help himself. Leaning forward, he brushed her lips with his in the sweetest, the most tender kiss he'd ever shared with her. He could have continued kissing Ginny like that for hours, but the mare behind him impatiently shuffled around, bringing his mind back to what he was supposed to be doing.

Ginny snickered after he stepped back. "So, Harry, you never answered my questions. Have I been replaced?"

Harry took one of Ginny's hands, lacing their fingers together, then dropped a brief kiss to her fingers. "Of course not. Come on. I'll introduce you." He led her back to the Granian, picking up the brush as he approached the mare's head from the side so they could be seen. "Fráliga, this is Ginny, my girlfriend. She loves horses. I think you'll like her, too."

The Granian nickered softly, took in Ginny's scent, then, using her head, nudged Ginny's hand. Ginny took the hint and rubbed the mare's nose. "Hello, there. You're beautiful. You're a lot bigger than I thought Granians were, though. When Chris said Harry was with you, I was expecting you to be the size of a regular horse."

"Oh, yeah, she's the exception, it seems," Harry explained. "At least according to Miss Fossey, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She's currently giving Fráliga's foal a check-up. When did you see Chris?"

Ginny giggled. "Chris saw me when I stepped into the stable, shushed me before I could say a word. That's really why he left, to give us some time alone."

Harry grinned. "I'll have to thank him later."

Harry let Ginny brush Fráliga awhile – after first washing his hands and sharing the treacle tart Ginny had made. He and Ginny talked, Harry telling how Miss Lena had chatted with him and actually made him feel a little better. He steered clear of the embarrassing talk with Sirius. There wasn't any need to go _there._ Since Ginny needed both hands to do the job of brushing the mare properly, Harry stood behind her and let his fingers trace her plait, occasionally dipping a fingertip into it, enjoying her hair's silky softness.

Standing so close to her brought about a rather physical response, and twice, he leaned forward to kiss Ginny's neck, only to stop himself before he could. Hoping she hadn't noticed a thing, he slid his fingers into the hair above her plait, and imagined it spilling into his hands. As hot as it was here, he figured she wouldn't be wearing her hair down very much, and that was a shame. Swallowing with a bit of difficulty, he forced himself to not think those sorts of thoughts, though he couldn't give up playing with her hair.

A short time later, Miss Fossey brought the foal back into the stall, greeted Ginny, praised the two of them on their work, then asked them to check the salamanders' fire, to give it a bit of stoking if necessary. She assured them the fire was no hotter than the average fire in a fireplace. They spent the remainder of the morning making sure all the animals that needed it had food and fresh water. By lunchtime, they were starving. Each quickly washed, then returned to the dining room, grabbed something to eat and wolfed it down. Luckily for them, everyone else was just as hungrily eating.

0000

Hermione looked up as the door to the magical room opened, admitting Ron and Neville. She'd told them that morning that she would be contacting Harry and Ginny after dinner. She was mildly surprised that Ron had managed to drag himself away from the table in time to accompany Neville. She supposed he was more eager to talk to Harry and Ginny than he let on.

"Have you called them yet?" Ron asked, dragging out his own magical mirror from his front pocket.

"No. I was just going to, though."

She waited while the boys took seats opposite her. She'd made the room a small copy of the Gryffindor common room. They currently sat next to a roaring fire. Looking into her own magical mirror, she called out to Harry. Ron and Neville echoed her call, looking into their own mirrors.

"I hope I'm not disturbing them. It's just half noon there; maybe I should have waited a little longer."

Before either of her companions could respond, her friends' faces appeared in her mirror. "Hermione! Ron! Neville!" they exclaimed at once. Ginny continued with, "It's good to hear from you! Harry and I had hoped it wouldn't be too much longer before we did."

"How are things there, Hermione?" Harry asked somewhat warily. "Not too bad I hope."

"Things are improving, but the Hogwarts rumor mill was certainly grinding away a few days ago."

Ron scrunched up his face in disgust. "Right. That first day was awful. The things that were being spread about you were just … I mean, bloody hell, how do people come up with that kind of stuff?"

Hermione could feel Harry's anger as she watched the muscle in his jaw flex. Hoping to smooth things over, she said, "No one who matters actually believes any of it."

"What's being said?" Harry asked, his voice tight with barely suppressed fury. "Is it just my name, or are they dragging Ginny's name through the dragon dung, too?"

Hermione winced and stammered. Ron had no such problem. He spat his response with such venom that it drew Hermione's gaze. The tips of his ears were red, as were his cheeks. "My personal favorite, though," Ron continued bitterly, "is the one Malfoy keeps spouting about Ginny being pregnant! With pups! It's all over the Prophet, too!"

In her mirror, Harry and Ginny were a study of contrasts. Harry's face had turned ashen, eyes wide with shock. Ginny, on the other hand, had fire burning in her eyes, two spots of color blossoming on her cheeks. Hermione started to reassure the two again that no one really believed what was being said, but her view suddenly tilted and all she could see was strips of grass. Harry's and Ginny's voices were muffled. It dawned on Hermione that Harry's mirror had been placed, face down, on a bench. Ginny's muted voice grew heated, while Harry's voice remained unemotional – or maybe morose, knowing Harry as much as Hermione thought she did.

Hermione looked over at her companions, catching Neville's eye. Neville simply shrugged. Her gaze landed on Ron; her irritation spiked. "You just couldn't leave it alone, could you? You just _had_ to say that, didn't you? It would have been sufficient to say that rumors were going around about both of them. You didn't have to give them any details! And did you really have to sound as if you were blaming Harry? I'm almost certain that's how he took it, if his expression was anything to go by!"

Ron sighed. "Yeah, I know. I shouldn't have said anything. It just still makes me angry thinking about it. I'll apologize as soon as they come back." A half-second later, Harry and Ginny returned. "Harry, I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to sound as if I was blaming you. I don't blame you. The both of you leaving was necessary. Don't worry about what happens here. Me, Hermione, and Neville will take care of things."

A burst of pride at Ron's words warmed Hermione and she smiled. "Well said, Ron."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry said. "I know you didn't mean it the way it sounded. I'll be writing to the Prophet. I won't be giving much away, of course, but at least it'll be some sort of explanation. I should have thought of that sooner, really. I'm sorry Ginny's reputation is being ruined."

Ron waved away Harry's apology. "As Hermione said, no one who matters actually believes all that drivel. Don't worry about Mum and Dad, either. We all rather expected things to get public. I just never expected the extent of some people's imaginations."

"Now that that's settled," Ginny said after a moment of silence, "has Dumbledore been hard on you at all? Has he pushed you for information?"

"He visited once, just before term began," Hermione replied. "Then, he requested I see him after the Welcome Feast. Again, he asked me if I knew where you two were. I told him I didn't know, which of course, I didn't. He hasn't asked me again."

"He detained me after breakfast that first morning," Ron added. "He asked me the same thing he asked Hermione. Of course, all I could say was that I hadn't a clue where you were."

"He talked to me Saturday, after lunch," Neville replied. "I don't think he was too happy about not getting the answer he wanted."

"Oh, but if you could have seen his face when he realized you two weren't there!" Ron crowed gleefully.

"It _was_ a bit comical," Neville agreed with a slight smile. "He was making a special announcement about the upcoming year after the Sorting and looking around at everyone. Right in the middle of his speech, he stopped talking as he studied the Gryffindor table, looking for the two of you."

Hermione continued the story. "I almost felt sorry for him when he went pale. Notice I said _almost._ I glanced over at Professor McGonagall to see if she'd noticed. She had." She felt heat flood her cheeks. "I think she saluted me with her goblet when she took a drink. I'm certain I saw her give a little nod, and she had the tiniest of smiles on her face."

"Well, it's Dumbledore's own fault we're not there," Ginny said with a bit of sarcasm. "He obviously doesn't know where we are because he hasn't shown up here, either. I have to say, I'm a bit anxious for today to be over. Once classes begin here, he'll have a harder time trying to take us back if he ever does discover where we are."

"What was the special announcement?" Harry asked. "Does it have anything to do with why you had to get dress robes?"

Enthusiasm rushed through Hermione, making her smile wider and her brown eyes sparkle. "Oh, it's fantastic! There's some sort of Tournament that Hogwarts is going to host this year! Dumbledore said it's between three schools. A champion from each school competes. At the end, the champion with the most points wins the Triwizard Cup, one thousand Galleons and -"

"And eternal glory," Ron dreamily spoke over her. "Imagine what that would be like. All that money …"

"Yes, well," Hermione sniffed somewhat disdainfully at Ron, not the least bit interested in glory or the prize money, "it's a rather dangerous Tournament, which is why the last one was held in 1792."

Ron came out of his daydream, smirking at Hermione. "Done some research, have you?"

"A bit," Hermione responded imperiously. "After all, we're going to be host to this thing. Shouldn't we know what it's all about?" She shook her head at Ron's unconcerned shrug. Turning back to Harry and Ginny, she continued with what she'd discovered, sounding as if she'd memorized the information from one of her books. "The Tournament consists of three daring tasks designed to test the Champions' courage, intelligence, resourcefulness, and magical ability. Each time the Tournament has been held, the tasks have been different. I'm rather excited to see what happens."

"Where do the dress robes fit in?" Ginny asked.

"On Christmas Day, there's to be a Yule Ball held here at school since we're the host school! Isn't that exciting? I'm just sorry you'll be missing out, Ginny."

Ginny shrugged. "That's okay, Hermione. I don't mind. I've done a lot of fantastic things already. Do you know what other schools will be competing?"

Anxiety fell onto Hermione like a wet blanket, dampening her enthusiasm. "Well, Dumbledore didn't say much, just that one school would be from Asia and the other from America."

"Then, I'm extra glad classes start tomorrow – and I never thought I'd say that."

"But you still don't think he knows we're here?" Harry asked, a bit worried. "That's an amazing coincidence if he doesn't."

Hermione thought about it a minute, ultimately shaking her head. "I really don't think he does, Harry. He would have shown up by now if he did. He was that determined to find out where you are just a couple of days ago, determined enough to speak to the three of us independently. No, I think it's just one of those weird happenstances."

Harry looked down for a moment, then back up. "We should go. It's almost time to start working again. It's been great to hear from you three. Oh, and Neville?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"I need you to do something for me. I need you to ask Dumbledore for the information regarding that Transformation Suppression Potion. According to Sirius, with it having been lost for so long, it now belongs to me and Ginny. Cite Article 24, Section A, Clause 10 if he gives you any trouble. I'll be sending Hedwig to you. Let me know if he doesn't cooperate. It's a bit of a test, to see if he's changed at all. Can you do that for me?"

Neville gulped audibly. "I, er, I suppose so, but why me? Wouldn't Hermione be a better choice?"

"Neville, your Gran is a very influential member of society. Unless I'm mistaken, she has the ear of several Wizengamot members. If Dumbledore refuses to follow the Ministry's own laws, contact her. The Longbottoms are a Noble House, Neville. People will listen."

Hermione gaped at Harry. "How do you know all this, Harry? If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you were a Slytherin!"

A sly grin stole across Harry's face. "Sirius explained a few things to me, things Uncle Remus hadn't had a chance to tell me. Remember what I said to Seamus last year, Hermione. We're not all just one thing. All of us embody a bit of each of the Houses' characteristics; it's just what's predominant that placed us in our Houses."

"That's true, I suppose." Hermione smiled. "I think I like this side of you, Harry."

"Which makes me glad we're here and you're there," Ginny quipped, "or you might have a fight on your hands, Hermione. I have no plans to give Harry up – and I _don't_ share."

Harry chuckled and draped an arm over Ginny's shoulders, unself-consciously placing a kiss to Ginny's temple. Hermione grinned at the display. She couldn't recall seeing Harry so relaxed and uninhibited. The time away from Britain was already doing him a world of good. Ginny, too, looked more at peace. While Hermione would miss her friends, she knew this was exactly what the two of them needed. She let out a little envious sigh as she watched them. Chancing a peek at Ron, she rolled her eyes at his scowl.

Turning back to Ginny, she said, "Don't worry, Ginny. I have no designs on Harry." Though, she almost wished she did. Certainly, the torture of seeing Harry with Ginny would be less painful than this waiting to be "seen."

"Good to know," Ginny said with a cheeky wink. A clanging bell sounded over Hermione's mirror. "That's our cue. Time to get back to work. It was good to see you all again. Take care. Hermione? Don't wait around. Enjoy yourself."

Hermione knew exactly what Ginny's cryptic words meant. A blush blossomed on her cheeks. Refusing to look at either of her companions, she said to Ginny, "You know, I think you're right. I think I _should_ have some fun this year."

Harry grinned. "You deserve it. Feel free to contact us again, just keep in mind that we're six hours behind you. Neville, I'll be sending Hedwig off to you today, though it'll be several days before she gets there. You can do it. I know you can."

"Thanks, Harry," Neville said timidly. "I'll try."

"Well, until the next time we can chat, goodbye."

The surface of Hermione's mirror returned to normal. She had to admit to feeling a bit lonely without Harry and Ginny. Not that she wasn't happy to be friends with Ron and Neville, because she was, it was just that she had grown closer to Harry and Ginny in the past year. She straightened her shoulders. She was determined to be the best Hermione she could be; she hadn't lied to Ginny about wanting to change.

As she returned her mirror to her handbag, Ron's question froze her for half a second. "What did Ginny mean by waiting around?"

"Nothing, Ron. It's just girl talk."

"Has anyone asked you to the Yule Ball, Hermione?" Neville asked as the three of them left the magical room.

"What kind of question is that?" Ron asked, disbelief coloring his voice. "Of course no one has asked yet. It's months away!"

Hermione huffed an irritated breath through her nose. "For your information, Ronald, some blokes don't leave things for the last minute. Some understand that girls like to have time to figure out what to wear or how to fix their hair. _Some_ blokes know that those things are important to girls."

"And _some_ blokes are just mental for thinking like a girl," Ron muttered.

Hermione whirled around to face Ron, her eyes narrowed in anger. Pointedly, she ignored Ron, turned to Neville and smiled sweetly. "Thanks for asking, Neville. To answer your question, however, no, no one has asked yet. Now, I should go to the library. I have Arithmancy homework and it's much easier to concentrate when it's quiet."

As she stalked away, she was certain she heard Ron call her mental. It hurt. How could he be so thick? How could she be interested in someone so unsuitable? Perhaps a crush was all she felt and she'd get over it rather quickly. Who knew? Maybe someone from one of the other schools would take an interest in her. It would be absolutely brilliant to get to know someone from another country. Feeling a bit better, she put it out of her mind for the moment so that she could focus on the things she'd learned that day in Arithmancy.

0000

Harry lay in bed, wide awake and staring up at the ceiling. Maybe it was just the fact that it was the second school he'd attended in as many years. That, certainly, would make anyone nervous, wouldn't it? Neither of his roommates sounded as if they were having any trouble sleeping. The good news was, neither of them snored. Harry rolled to his side, closed his eyes, and tried to relax. After a few moments, he opened his eyes again, sighing. It was no use. He just couldn't sleep!

Deciding it was best if he simply got up, Harry grabbed his glasses, donned his dressing gown, then stole out of his room, down the corridor and into the commons area. Sitting on one of the sofas by the unlit fireplace, he listened to the utter silence of the building. It was comforting somehow, relaxing. As he sat there, he attempted to imagine how the school year would be. Of course, with his limited experience, he really couldn't imagine much.

Muffled footsteps reached his ears and he quietly turned to see who else was up and about. He blinked in surprise when he realized who it was. "Ginny?" he called softly.

A soft gasp. "Harry?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm over here by the fireplace. You couldn't sleep, either?" When Ginny joined him on the sofa, he reached out and took her hand. Giving it a gentle tug, he pulled her close to his side, draping his arm across her shoulders. "Why can't you sleep?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. Too excited, I suppose." She paused a moment before continuing. "A small part of me still expects to see Dumbledore come walking through the door. Until the first class begins, we could still be pulled out of school."

"True, but I don't think we have to worry about it. That Tournament they have going on will surely take up all of his time, making sure everything is set. I don't see how he'd have time to track us down _and_ try to force us back to Hogwarts in the short amount of time that's left."

"Yeah, that's true. Maybe it's just nerves. I mean, everything is new here."

"It is but we're already acclimating. Both of us used the term _teacher_ the other day, rather than _professor._ I've found myself thinking _bathroom_ instead of _loo_ , and _first floor_ instead of _ground floor_. It won't be long before this place becomes as familiar to you – us – as Hogwarts."

Ginny quietly giggled. "Not to mention the food. Pancakes? Maple syrup? Biscuits? I actually get _two_ pictures in my head when I think of biscuits. Oh, and that steak fried like chicken! _That's_ good!"

Harry chuckled. "Why am I not surprised that you're on about the food? Maybe they'll have some other stuff, too, like shepherd's pie or steak and kidney pie."

"Maybe." Ginny scooted enough to be able to rest her head on Harry's shoulder. "Right now, I'm enjoying trying all the new stuff." She was quiet a minute and Harry thought she might have gone to sleep. But then she said, "That was nice of you to ask Neville to get that information for you. Longbottom isn't the only Noble House."

Harry shrugged, feeling his cheeks and ears heat up. "He needed to be included, needed the boost to his self-confidence. I wasn't going to tell him that, though."

Gooseflesh broke out along his arms and rose the hair on his neck when Ginny kissed the underside of his jaw. He found it difficult to focus on her next words. "Thanks," he rasped in response, promptly clearing his throat. "I know what it's like to feel as if you don't belong anywhere. If I can do something to prevent someone from feeling that, I will do whatever it takes."

Ginny burrowed into his chest, wrapping her arms around him as best she could, and squeezed him in a sympathetic hug. Harry shifted on the sofa a bit so they weren't sitting so awkwardly. He let his head drop to the sofa back, suddenly becoming drowsy. Not really wanting to move, he succumbed to sleep.

0000

The next thing he knew, Harry was awakening to early morning light coming through the windows. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around him and instantly wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Miss Lena stood next to him, and while she didn't look particularly angry, she didn't seem very happy, either.

"Ginny," he whispered urgently, shaking her roughly. "Ginny, wake up. We spent the night out here and Miss Lena is standing over us."

Ginny shot up and away from Harry so quickly, Harry was afraid she'd fall off the sofa. She didn't, however. She looked up at Miss Lena with fearful eyes. "We didn't mean to sleep out here, Miss Lena. Neither of us could sleep and came out here to sit. It was an accident. Honestly. Nothing happened."

Miss Lena pulled her wand, transfigured the low table into an ottoman, then sat down facing them. Harry thought for sure they were about to be lectured. Then, the Headmistress actually smiled, and Harry let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Calm yourself, _ch_ _é_ _rie_. I understand. Nerves can play havoc with our abilities to relax. There will be no disciplinary actions taken as long as this doesn't become a habit. If I see that you are taking advantage of my generosity, then something will be done. Fair enough?"

"Yes," Harry said in a rush. "That's more than fair. Thank you."

"Alright, then. Off you go. The others will be getting up soon. I'm sure the last thing you want is to be found out here in a serious discussion with me."

Harry nearly cringed at the thought of starting the new school year amidst rumors. Definitely not a good thing. He looked up at Miss Lena, dreading the answer to his next question. "Er, you're not going to say anything to Sirius, are you?"

"I see no reason why I should – at this time. Now, back to your rooms."

As Miss Lena returned the ottoman to its original form, Harry stood, took a moment to stretch, then told Ginny he'd see her at breakfast. Calling himself all manner of names for falling asleep on the sofa with Ginny then getting caught by the Headmistress, he slipped down the corridor and into his room. Harry let out another breath, relieved to see that his roommates still slept. Tip-toeing to his bed, making as little noise as possible, he pulled out what he needed for his shower. While Chris and Harry's other roommate, a brown-haired bloke named Dylan, seemed to be sound sleepers, Harry didn't want to push his luck. Very quietly, he slipped back out of the room.

He returned to find his roommates stirring. Chris was the first speak. "Harry, are you one of those up with the sun kind of people?"

Harry collected his uniform, then returned to his bed. "If I had a choice? Not really. I have to warn you, though, that I will be getting up rather early most days. I'll be as quiet as I can."

"Why will you be getting up so early?" Dylan asked through a yawn.

"Workouts. Strength and endurance work, as well as wand work."

Chris snorted. "I'm not sure you need to work on the strength part." He looked Harry over a long moment. "Does this have to do with why you're here instead of back in England?"

Harry didn't want to admit to too much, but he also didn't want to completely ignore Chris' question, either. He settled for, "Yes, but it's also good to be in shape, you know?"

"Well, yeah," Dylan agreed, stretching, "but who are you trying to impress? You've already got a girl. I'm pretty sure she doesn't mind how you look now."

Harry merely shrugged. Ducking behind his bed curtains, he donned his uniform, then combed his hair, though it didn't make any difference. It still looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed. Mentally shrugging, he stepped away from his bed in time to hear Dylan grumble about tying the tie.

"There should be a spell that could tie these stupid things for us. Better yet, how about doing away with them altogether?"

Chris laughed as he prepared to take his own shower. "Sure, you go ahead and work on that spell. Just don't choke yourself in the process."

Harry laughed, deftly tying his own tie. "You've been attending school how many years now and still can't tie it?"

"I know, right? I should be able to do this by now." Noticing Harry already had his tied, he grumbled again. "Well, no need to ask if Hogwarts used ties in their uniforms, apparently."

Harry shrugged. "I was tying them long before I ever went to Hogwarts. The uniforms there aren't much different than ours; just the colors, mostly. And robes."

Dylan paused in his task to look over at Harry. "What is Hogwarts like? Is it really a castle? What are the teachers like? I wanted to ask before, but I got the impression you didn't really want to talk about it much. Feel free to tell me to mind my own business."

Harry slipped his hands into his pockets. "Sorry. Didn't mean to give you that impression. Some things I can't explain right now, but most things I can. Yes, Hogwarts is really a castle – a very drafty one. It's rather large with so many students they have to separate them into four Houses, named after the four school Founders. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms and dorms are at the tops of two towers. I think, below the school are the Hufflepuff and Slytherin common rooms and dorms."

"It's really that big?" Harry nodded. "I can't even imagine a school big enough for all of that. Which House were you in, then?"

"Gryffindor. The colors are red and gold." Warming to the topic, Harry leaned against the wall and continued describing the school: the moving staircases, the trick stairs, all the polite or rude paintings, and the formality of the staff to the students.

Dylan finally managed to get his tie passably knotted. "We must seem really different, then."

"Different, yes, but a good sort of different. I'm thinking I'll be learning a lot this year."

Chris had returned to the room during Harry's narrative description of Hogwarts and now stood, dressed, in front of a mirror to make sure his own tie was properly knotted. "I don't know about either of you, but I'm hungry. I'm heading out to breakfast."

Harry followed Chris and Dylan out to the commons area. Not seeing Ginny, he wondered if she'd come out yet. Walking over to the dining room, he peeked in. She wasn't there, either, so Harry told his friends he'd see them later, then returned to one of the sofas to wait for Ginny. Fingering his tie, he thought it a bit odd to be wearing navy blue and turquoise green rather than black, red, and gold, which in and of itself was odd since he hadn't been at Hogwarts long enough to develop any sort of real attachment to the school. Unlike the previous year, however, he was actually looking forward to the school year.

"Hey, kiddo! Feeling alright?"

Harry turned to his godfather, smiling. "Yeah, surprisingly, I am."

Harry happily chatted with Sirius while waiting for Ginny.

0000

Ginny returned from her shower to find both of her roommates up already, discussing hairstyles. Well, Raven was trying different styles and getting Amelie's opinions on them. Upon Ginny's entrance into their room, Raven dropped her hair, and whirled to face Ginny, her hands folded over her chest.

"Oh, please let me do your hair. It's so pretty. I love styling hair."

Taken aback, Ginny could only stammer out a reply. "Er, I-I suppose so. I normally just wear it down."

"Oh, believe me, you won't want to here. Not with this heat, at any rate. Go ahead and get dressed." Raven gathered her shower things. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Amelie followed suit. "Me, too."

Pulling out her uniform skirt, shirt, and tie, Ginny laid them out on her bed, sadly reflecting on the differing colors to her old uniform. She lightly traced the lines of the turquoise green plaid on the navy blue background of her pleated skirt. In a way, she missed the traditional ride on the Hogwarts Express, missed the usual Sorting of the First Years. Her eyes suddenly watered and she quickly wiped the moisture away. There wasn't any point getting emotional. Really, she liked the school and the people here; the teachers and Headmistress were rather nice and talked to them with familiarity, as opposed to Hogwarts' staid restraint shown to the students.

Ginny firmly shoved those solemn thoughts from her mind. By the time her friends had returned, she was fully dressed, her hair wrapped in a towel to keep her clothes dry.

"Oh, good, you're ready," Raven said, obviously looking forward to getting her hands on Ginny's hair. She patted her bed. "Come sit down. We'll dry your hair first."

Ginny had one condition for her friend. "Nothing too outrageous or anything, okay?"

"Don't worry. I won't make it fancy. Okay, so, all of it up, or just some of it? What do you think?"

"Well, Harry likes my hair down." Ginny giggled. "He loves playing with it."

"And I can certainly understand that; it's fabulous. What do _you_ want, though?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. Show me a few ideas and we'll go from there."

"Sounds like a plan."

Ginny patiently sat through the styling. Some ideas were instantly discarded as being too formal, while others had been deemed too plain. Several minutes passed before they hit upon the perfect – according to both Raven and Amelie – style for Ginny. Raven wouldn't let Ginny see until she'd finished, to Ginny's mild irritation.

It was another few minutes when Raven stepped back. "Done! I have to say, Ginny, that really suits you – better than it ever did me, at any rate."

"Well, can I see it now?"

Raven handed her a mirror and Ginny gasped. She had small sections of hair from the top of her head near the front loosely braided and pulled to the back of her head at her nape where the remainder of her hair tucked up and into the braids, forming a messy bun. Long tendrils of her hair framed her face. Ginny had to admit, it looked rather nice. In her mirror, she could see Raven biting her lip nervously in anticipation of Ginny's verdict.

"It's amazing, Raven. Thank you. You need to show me how to do that."

Raven beamed. "I'm so glad you like it. You had me worried there for a minute. It's really pretty easy. You just have to get used to doing it in front of a mirror or by feel."

"It really does look nice, Ginny," Amelie said. "It almost makes me wish my hair was long again." She grinned mischievously, her brows jumping. "Now you have the best of both styles. It's up off your neck, and Harry has some hair to play with."

All three of them laughed. Once they were dressed, Raven threw her arm around Ginny's shoulders. "Come on, let's go see if Harry's waiting for you. I'm dying to see his expression when he sees you."

Ginny blushed, but in reality, she couldn't wait to see his face, either. Seeing herself in that mirror, she thought she looked a bit older. Not much older, but older, nonetheless, and it made her feel really good, like she had shed the old Ginny and had blossomed into this new person. She liked this new person, and wondered what other changes this new person would make. Maybe her hair was only the beginning. Did she dare try make-up? Ginny knew her mum wouldn't like it, but Ginny needed to do what felt right for _her_ , not for her mum.

She startled at the waving hand in front of her face. "Sorry. I was thinking about some things. If, I, er, wanted to wear make-up, would one of you help me?"

Amelie answered instantly. "Of course, we would. You wouldn't need much; you have a natural beauty. Maybe a little around your eyes to enhance them. Whenever you're ready, just say the word."

That settled in her mind, Ginny grinned. "Let's get to breakfast. I'm starving."

As they reached the commons area, Ginny immediately saw that Harry was, indeed, there. Currently, he was talking with Sirius, so she didn't know if he had been waiting for her or if Sirius had just stopped Harry from proceeding to the dining room. It surprised Ginny a little to have Amelie ask who Harry was chatting with. After all, Sirius had been with them on Sunday when they'd toured the school. Ginny supposed proper introductions hadn't been made.

"That's Harry's godfather, Sirius. He brought us here." Ginny noticed the disappointed expression on her friend's face. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. He just looks like someone else, a musician my parents like." Amelie suddenly blushed. "I always thought he was kind of cute. The musician, I mean."

The three of them stopped just inside the commons area. Ginny turned to her friend, confused. "How would you know what that musician looked like? I thought both of your parents were magical."

"They are, but Dad's family isn't. He grew up listening to a radio and watching a television. Anyway, my parents had these … records, I think they were called, that had pictures on the covers. One of them had a picture of the band on it. Each member had longish hair, wore black leather jackets, and ripped up jeans – the whole 'bad boy' image." Amelie studied Sirius again. "I'd swear Harry's godfather was an older version of one of those guys. They were together for a little while, then seemed to fade away."

Ginny bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Oh, this was gold! Who would have thought she'd have a friend who was crushing on Sirius' old persona? She couldn't wait to tell Harry about this! He'd think it just as hilarious. There _had_ to be some pranking material in this! Maybe she and Harry could put their heads together and come up with something. This was simply too good to pass up. Certainly, the Marauders wouldn't have ignored such a rich opportunity.

Sirius spied her and whistled appreciatively. "Nice, Stuff." At Ginny's glare, he added, "What? I didn't call you _Short_ Stuff."

"No, but you implied it."

"I could have called you Red. Ginger?"

Ginny scrunched up her nose. "Not any better."

"Ginny, we'll see you later," Raven said, grabbing Amelie by the arm and dragging her away. She threw a look back at Ginny, her eyes meaningfully moving to Harry and back. Then, she winked.

Turning to Harry, Ginny nearly jumped for joy. He stared at her with such appreciation that she could feel heat wanting to crawl up her neck and into her cheeks. "You like it?"

Harry reached out and ran one of the loose locks of hair between his fingertips. "I do." His voice came out a little raspy. "You look … different. Not in a bad way or anything."

"I _feel_ different, and I like that. I feel like … well, it's a bad metaphor, but I feel like a snake shedding its old, dull, too-tight skin, and becoming more comfortable, shiny, and new."

Harry's hand dropped to his side. "Don't change too much or you may decide you don't want me around anymore. Then again, if it comes to that, just say the word, and I'll go."

Ignoring Sirius – who stood a few feet away – and all the comings and goings of the other students heading to breakfast, Ginny cupped Harry's face, stared him straight in the eye, and vowed, "That will never happen, Harry. I told you already. You have my heart. No, you _are_ my heart. Without it, I can't live." Then, she kissed him softly. Stepping back, she said teasingly, "Now, I'm starving, and you should know by now not to keep a Weasley from food."

A laugh full of happy relief escaped him. "That I do. Come on, then. Let's get you fed."

Ginny reached out and wiggled his tie. "You know, I think I like this better than Gryffindor's red and gold."

Harry, still smiling, agreed. "I think I do, too."

Ginny pulled Harry away from Sirius. "I might have some prime pranking material on Sirius. I just need to talk to someone first. Well, two people actually."

Harry's smile turned sly. "Pranking material, you say? I look forward to hearing all about this."

0000

Ginny met back up with Harry once he'd freshened up after Herbology. He'd been awfully sweaty when she'd seen him, his shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows and his tie loosened with the top button of his shirt undone.

"How was Herbology?" Ginny asked, taking his hand into hers and leading him to the dining room for lunch.

Harry shrugged. "Mr. Hadley just reviewed everything from last year. I'll admit, I was relieved that they studied the same things we did last year. He's a bit odd, though, always talking about the plants as if they had feelings or whatever. Professor Sprout did that to some extent, but Mr. Hadley is really bad about it. He reprimanded a couple of students for saying the plants couldn't feel a thing done to them."

"I imagine the heat didn't really help, either."

"No, definitely not. When do you have Herbology?"

Ginny checked her schedule, as it was called here, and sighed in relief. "In the morning tomorrow. I would absolutely have hated it if I had to take it in the afternoon."

"Yeah, I feel sorry for anyone who does. So, how was Arithmancy?"

"Interesting. We learned who founded the art form of Numerology, how numbers have specific characteristics associated with them, and then spent the class time finding our personal numerological numbers and finding others in the class with the same numbers. I think I'm going to like it."

"That's good." Harry stomach rumbled. "I'm starving. I hope it's something good today. Well, exceptionally good, since nothing has been bad so far."

Indeed, it was something good. One food warming table held hamburgers, along with everything one could possibly want to put on it, as well as a pan of French fries. On the same side of the dining room, a short distance away, was another warming table that held a small selection of vegetables and sliced ham. On the hamburger table's other side, a table had been set out with three kinds of fruit and desserts, as Ginny had begun to think of them, ranging from cookies, slices of pie, and cake. Pitchers of juice and water sat on the tables. Against the opposite wall, more tables stood, holding the same food choices.

Her own stomach growled in anticipation of the food. "I feel like having a hamburger today." Ginny laughed. "I can hear Mum's voice in my head insistently urging me to eat my vegetables, but I'm going to ignore it."

Harry shrugged, grinning. "Potatoes _are_ vegetables, if you have the French fries. And so are lettuce and onions, for that matter. Really, you _are_ doing what she's telling you to do." He snorted. "You have your bread, your meat, cheese, and your veggies all in one meal. If you add fruit, it's completely balanced."

"I like the way you think. I'll have to remember that if Mum complains about them."

As they filled their plates and sat, Harry said, "Sirius is giving us this week to get used to the school, but then he's having us really get busy with our workouts. He said it with such glee that I'm almost worried."

"He's just winding you up, I'm sure. I don't expect him to go easy on us, but I don't think he'll overdo it. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

After lunch, they had over an hour before their next class and spent the time in the Rec Room, doing their best to outscore the other while playing air hockey. As competitive as she was, Ginny refused to give up, despite losing to Harry more than once. The last game they played, Ginny handily beat Harry, having furiously smacked the puck across the table each time it came her way. The instant the puck ricocheted past Harry's defense and slammed into his goal for the final time, Ginny threw her arms up and crowed her victory.

"Yes! Ha! Thought you'd win again, did you? Well, I made you think again." She continued her little victory dance, causing Harry to laugh. "Yes," she added after a moment, "I realize you won all the others, but I will take every victory I can get. With my older brothers, victories were few and far between."

Harry snorted as he walked to her and dropped his arm over her shoulders. "Somehow, I think you had more than your fair share of victories."

Ginny feigned a hurt expression, giving him big puppy eyes. "How could you even think that?"

Grinning, Harry said, "Because of that right there, that expression. I'm sure it got you out of trouble and your brothers _into_ trouble faster than anyone could believe."

Unable to hold her expression, Ginny laughed. "You're right; I did – and _they_ did. It served them right for all that they did to me, or wouldn't do with me."

"Naturally."

"What time is it?" Harry checked his watch; told her the time. "Do you mind if I talk to Mum for a few minutes? I'd like to tell her about class, even though there's not much to really tell yet."

"Of course I don't mind. Go ahead. If I don't see you before one o'clock, then I'll see you at dinner."

"Thanks, Harry," Ginny said, kissing him briefly. "You're the best."

Ginny stepped out of the Rec Room and happened to spot Sirius walking across the commons area. "Sirius! Can I ask you something?"

Turning at the sound of her voice, he waited for her to catch up. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could possibly make another mirror. I know it's a lot to ask after everything you've already done, but –"

"Ginny, you're not asking for too much. Never worry about that. Who do you plan to give it to, and shall I assume you want it keyed to Harry's?"

"I was thinking of giving it to Bill. Without his help during the summer, things would have been so much harder, I think. He deserves to see the school he had a hand in getting me to."

Sirius rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think that's a nice idea. I'll get started on one. You should have it in a day or two."

Surprised at the speed at which it would be done, Ginny cocked her head to the side, and grinned. "What exactly do you do here, anyway? You obviously don't teach. Are you so thoroughly bored that you're jumping at the chance to do something?"

Sirius' nose rose into the air, haughtiness in every ounce of his posture and expression. Only the laughter in his gray eyes let her know it was all for show. "I'll have you know that I have been very busy. You'll find out on Sunday morning."

Adopting her own snooty attitude, Ginny nodded. "Very well. Good day to you, then. I wish to speak with Mum before the afternoon session of classes begin. I shall take my leave." She performed a perfect curtsy, then laughed when she caught sight of how hard he was holding back his own laughter. "See you, Sirius, and thanks for making another mirror."

"It's not a problem, Stuff," he said, now grinning widely. "I should have thought of it myself."

Ginny waved a hand airily. "Yes, well, that's why you have me."

"Oh, really? You think so, do you?" Sirius laughed out loud. "You've gotten cheeky on me, Stuff. I like this side of you."

Ginny shrugged and tried to express what she felt inside. "I feel … freer … here than I did at Hogwarts." It was a lot more than that, but she really didn't want to get into it at that moment. If she wasn't careful, she'd miss her chance to talk to her Mum. As it was, she was only going to get a few minutes. "Anyway, I'll see you later. And yes, I'm ignoring the fact that you called me that again."

In her room – Raven was in the library and Amelie was wandering the grounds, quite possibly searching for Sirius – Ginny pulled out her mirror and called her mum. Once the mirror's surface changed to reveal her mum, Ginny greeted her. "Hi, Mum. I don't have long. I just wanted to tell you a bit about the class I went to this morning."

"Ginny? Ginevra Weasley! What did you _do_ with your hair?!"

Taken aback by the near-Howler-level demand, Ginny simply stared, unable to speak for a few seconds. "Er, I just put it up so it's off my neck. It's really hot here, remember?"

"I remember quite well." Her voice had lowered, but her displeasure was still very evident. "What happened to just plaiting your hair as you used to do? Or pulling it back into a ponytail?"

Ginny picked her next words carefully, not wanting to antagonize her mother further. "Full plaits and ponytails are styles most little girls wear, Mum. I'm not that little anymore. I _like_ my hair like this."

"Well, I don't. You're much too young to be wearing your hair like that."

"Mum, it's a simple bun into plaited sections of hair. It's nothing, really." Ginny took a deep, calming breath. "Can we not argue about this? I really don't have much time before the afternoon classes begin and I wanted to tell you about Care of Magical Creatures and Miss Fossey, the teacher."

Mrs. Weasley agreed to shelve the discussion for another time. Ginny quickly moved on to the subject she wanted to discuss, telling her the structure of the school day, contrasting it with Hogwarts' school days. They chatted amicably for fifteen minutes before Ginny noticed the time and decided she needed to say goodbye.

"Mum, I have to go. I have Transfiguration in just over five minutes. I'll talk to you again after I've had all my classes and can tell you more."

After their goodbyes, Ginny rolled her eyes as she thought of her mum's insistence on Ginny wearing her hair in the single braid. She shook her head. "She just doesn't know what it's like to finally be able to become the person I'm meant to be, with none of her, or other, familial expectations or past history holding me back."

Deciding she'd worry about it later, she stuffed her Transfiguration book, parchment, ink, and quills, along with her Potions supplies, into her book bag. With only a final couple of minutes left before the start of class, Ginny dashed out of her room, throwing the strap onto her shoulder, and ran for the classroom. It wouldn't do to be late, especially on the first day.

Passing by the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, she thought she caught a glimpse of Harry's unruly hair. She felt only a bit guilty for not getting back with him in time. If she thought about it, she would think it for the best that they separate a little, that they didn't have to be all about the other all the time. She wanted to have friends that were just _her_ friends. This was the best opportunity for that. Not that she wanted to be away from Harry, she simply didn't want to depend on him for her own happiness. Like Harry, she wanted to take control of her life. As it was, the thoughts foremost in her mind were of the pleading variety that she made it on time. She did, but only just. Sitting next to a rail-thin boy with reddish-blond hair, Ginny pulled out her things and settled in.

0000

Harry was highly impressed with Miss Ward. Despite her size, she packed a strong magical punch. They had spent the entire class time with wands out, actively reviewing what had been learned the previous year. Everyone had partnered up, with Miss Ward taking Harry on, herself. He'd seriously underestimated her. She'd not wasted any time throwing a jinx his way, which he had barely blocked. Also, she was quick, making her hard to hit. By the end of class, Harry had been frustrated with his lack of ability to hit his target. At least he'd impressed her with his Shield Charm, despite the fact that it wasn't as strong as it could be.

Harry looked up when Chris and Dylan joined him at one of the sofas in the commons area. "Nice display in class, Harry," Chris said by way of greeting. "How did you get to be so good?"

Harry shrugged. "Just something I'm good at, I suppose."

"And that Shield Charm!" Dylan exclaimed, shaking his head in awe. "That was amazing! That's a fifth year spell here! Do they teach it earlier at Hogwarts?"

"Er, no." Harry rubbed the back of his neck, then ran it through his hair, a sure sign of his discomfort with discussing himself. "It's a fifth year spell there, too. I just received permission to work ahead. I suppose they didn't want me to be bored. I'm sure you could learn it, too, if you simply practiced it."

Chris bumped Harry's arm. "You impressed Miss Ward, that's for sure." He laughed. "You're in for it, now. She'll likely use you as her guinea pig every time she shows us something new."

"Wonderful," Harry muttered, not liking that idea at all.

"Oh, come on, Harry, don't be like that. I mean, what did you expect after that little display?"

Harry studied Dylan a moment, then shrugged. Dylan was right. Showing his actual ability in the subject perhaps wasn't the smartest move he'd made – not that he'd planned to hold back, either. Well, there wasn't much point in worrying about it, now; the Kneazle was out of the bag. Harry had the sudden suspicion that she'd known about his advanced skills and had been ready. He had certainly felt as if he'd been drawn out and pushed to perform at his best.

"I suppose," he relented, finally responding to Dylan's question. "I just don't really care for being the center of attention, you know? The last thing I ever need is more attention."

"Well, you have it now, man," Dylan said, before declaring, "I'm going to dinner."

Harry could feel Chris' steady gaze, but refused to meet it. Eventually, Chris said, "The whole school is going to hear about your prowess in class. That's the drawback to a smaller school. Be prepared for the looks that will be coming your way."

"It's nothing I haven't faced before. Trust me, this school has nothing on Hogwarts' rumor mill." Harry shook his head in disgust as he thought about the rumors that were circulating at Hogwarts regarding his and Ginny's disappearance. "It's annoying, really. I mean, are people so thoroughly bored with their own lives that they have to make up stuff about someone else to get some excitement?"

Chris folded his arms over his chest and leaned on the back of the sofa, staring out the glass entrance around the front door, contemplative. "It's a sad commentary, isn't it? Doesn't say much for our society, or society in general, really."

"No, it doesn't."

A moment of silence stretched out, then, Chris spoke again, this time facing Harry. "Look, Harry, I know there's more to this story than you've said, and that's okay. Just know that I'd like to help, in whatever capacity that I can."

This was it. This was the moment in which Harry had to decide whether to continue on as he had been, keeping secrets and not trusting anyone except for a select few. He looked up at Chris, studied him carefully, searching for any hint of deception. Deciding to trust his instincts, Harry gave him a nod.

"I'll tell you after dinner. I'll answer any question you ask. I have to insist that you not tell anyone else, however. Not unless you've discussed it with me and Ginny first."

"Of course. I hope you don't feel pressured to say anything. I'd be perfectly happy not knowing anything. I just get the impression you have something huge looming ahead of you and I want to help you out. Friends do that for each other."

A slow smile spread across Harry's face. "Yeah. That's what Ginny's been telling me for nearly a year."

Chris laughed. "A bit slow on the uptake, are you?"

"Something like that." Ginny walked in at that moment, making Harry's smile widen exponentially.

Chris snorted. "Go greet your girlfriend. I'm going to dinner."

Harry dragged his gaze away from Ginny. "Sit with us. That way, we can talk about some things before the major discussion."

"Only if you keep the mushy stuff to a minimum. Seriously, it's sickeningly sweet watching you two together."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, okay, though we really aren't that bad. Just wait until you find the girl for you. We'll see then who's complaining."

Chris slapped Harry on his shoulder and walked away, greeting Ginny as he passed her. Harry watched Ginny return Chris' greeting. Grinning, he headed that way, stopping after taking a few steps when Ginny's friendly smile for Chris brightened as she left him and became the one Harry loved to see, the one she reserved only for him that said 'I have so much joy inside when I see you that I can't contain it.' The love shining in her bright brown eyes stirring his own emotions, he lifted his hand the instant she was within reach and ran his fingers down one of the loose bits of hair framing her face.

"You're back early," Ginny noted. "How was Defense Against the Dark Arts? Wait, don't tell me. You dueled Miss Ward, and now everyone knows how gifted you are at Defense. Am I right?"

Harry sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Yeah, something like that. I think Sirius told her because she didn't seem the least bit surprised at me being able to cast the Shield Charm, just impressed it was as strong as it was, even though it wasn't really very strong."

"Perhaps. You'd have to ask her to know for sure. So, how was History of Magic?"

"It was, again, a review, but since I learned next to nothing from Binns, it was all new to me. I take that back. Not all of it was knew. Uncle Remus had taught me some. In class, we also talked about a witch named Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo Powder."

"Interesting. It feels weird to actually be anticipating that class. I don't have it until tomorrow after lunch. I'm going to put my books up, then we can go to dinner."

"Alright. Er, Ginny, I told Chris I'd explain everything to him after dinner. I know I probably should have talked about it with you first, but I feel he can be trusted. He's been great to me, not asking any questions when I know he's been curious. He deserves to know."

"Harry, if you want to tell him, I'm fine with it. Do you want to do it alone?"

"No. Just like in everything else, I want you by my side. You can help me explain because I'm certain I'll just muck it all up. We don't have to mention anything about your first year at Hogwarts."

Ginny shrugged. "If it makes things clearer, it's okay if we talk about it. We'll see. I'll be back in a minute."

0000

Walking hand in hand with Ginny, Harry led Chris to one of the gazebos on the front grounds, hoping it wasn't currently occupied. They were in luck. Even with the Cooling Charm on the structure, it was still a bit warm, but it was their best option, as anywhere inside there were too many people. If he missed anything about Hogwarts, Harry missed having all the little nooks and crannies one had at one's disposal when looking for an out-of-the-way spot for a private conversation.

After getting comfortable, Harry blankly stared off into the distance. "I'm not sure exactly how to start." He shrugged. "From the beginning, I suppose." He went on to tell of the events, leaving out the contents of the prophecy, that led to the loss of his parents, his becoming a werewolf, and the belief that Voldemort hadn't been truly defeated.

Chris stared, in shock, seemingly unable to say much of anything for several long seconds. "So, you were turned at a very young age, then."

Harry nodded, tensely gripping Ginny's hand and waited for his friend's verdict. "I was, yes."

Chris eyed Harry a moment, then nodded, as if coming to some conclusion and agreeing with it. "That would explain the note in our letters that another lycan was attending school this year. Not to mention how you managed to throw Lew the day you two got into it, and how you always seem to know when someone is behind you. I don't know if you noticed, but whenever you hear someone coming up behind you, you instantly turn in that direction, like you're not comfortable with having your back to anyone."

"There's one here already?" Ginny asked, latching on to the first part of Chris' comment, mildly surprised.

Chris shrugged. "There is, but I don't know who it is. We're not given any names, just the general information."

"I didn't realize I did that," Harry murmured, obviously caught up in what Chris had said about him. He shrugged. "I guess it's instinct or something. I suppose the one good thing about being a werewolf is that one of your senses sharpens. Or, as you now know, your strength increases. Normally, it's one or the other." Harry snorted derisively. "I just happen to be the exception to that. As if being a werewolf didn't set me apart from everyone already."

"This is why you don't trust very easily?"

Harry ran his free hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. When he spoke, bitterness crept into his voice. "Werewolves aren't exactly welcome in Britain's Wizarding society. Once people learn what we are, we're shunned. No one wants to hire us. Growing up wasn't easy. My uncle was also a werewolf. He was sacked from every job he had, Muggle or Wizarding, either because he missed too many days or the Wizarding family put two and two together and figured us out. More times than I care to admit, the ones who celebrated the event that killed my parents were the same ones who condemned me for something out of my control."

Taking comfort from the hand that was soothingly rubbing his back, Harry leaned against Ginny and waited to see how Chris would react to what he'd heard so far. He didn't have long to wait. Chris sat back against his bench seat, watching Harry and Ginny a moment before speaking.

"That's sad. Sad and ridiculous. I won't say that you won't find that attitude in some parts of this country, but here, and in a few other areas I'm told, we're not like that. It's why we use the term _lycan_. It puts the emphasis on the person rather than the wolf." Chris leaned forward. "Harry, nothing I've heard has changed my opinion of you. You're still my friend. I'd still like to help with whatever you have going on. I know there's more you haven't told me, something to do with why you're here."

Relief flooded through Harry. His instincts had said he could trust Chris, and Chris had proven them right. "Thanks for that. I really appreciate it." He briefly looked to Ginny, who nodded encouragingly. "You're right. There is more, but it's dangerous information. Suffice it to say, Voldemort and I will be meeting again one day, and I plan to take him down – permanently."

Chris nodded, thoughtfully. "That's why you warned me you'd be up early most days. You're going to be working towards that goal."

"Right." After hesitating for a moment, Harry went on. "You don't seem all that surprised about my plan. You're not going to tell me I'm too young? That I shouldn't be worried about it, to let someone else handle it?"

"That would be because I'm not all that surprised, not really. From the moment I met you, I knew there was more to you than met the eye. I knew there had to be _some_ significant reason you'd come all the way over here when you could have easily stayed in your own country. I wasn't about to pry, though. Now, you're going to need a sparring partner – other than Ginny. I'd like to volunteer."

Harry, stunned, could only stare at his friend. He had a hard time believing Chris was so accepting of everything. He almost wished he had come to this school from the beginning. _Almost_ wished, because if he'd been here instead of Hogwarts, he never would have met Ginny, and that was something he'd never regret. He'd endure the worst torment imaginable if it meant Ginny would be in his life. Letting go of the hand he held, Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

To Chris, he said, "You do realize we'll be up before the sun each day. The workouts will be tough. Sirius won't be taking it easy on us."

"While I'm not fond of the early hour, this is important. I'd still like to help."

A moment passed before Harry nodded his assent. "I'll talk to Sirius."

Several minutes of silence passed between the three of them before Chris asked, "So, how did you two meet?"

Harry snorted. "I ran into her at Hogwarts."

Ginny laughed. "Quite literally. Knocked me onto the hard, stone floor, and sent my school things flying. I was so angry at him for not paying attention to where he was going."

Sheepishly, Harry added, "Twice. Well, the second time I caught her before she fell, but yeah … she told me off, blasted me with her temper." His amusement faded as he thought back to the early part of the previous year, his voice filling with awe. "Then, she started sitting with me during meals. No one else had made the effort. She had me completely confused."

Ginny took up the story. "We kept nearly colliding. I figured maybe someone was trying to tell me something, so I decided to try to get to know him. I mean, I knew who he was, everyone did, but Harry put off these _Do Not Disturb_ signals." Ginny shrugged. "What can I say? He seemed so lonely." She turned to Harry. "And what do you mean _my_ temper? You're one to talk Mr. I'll-Bite-Your-Head-Off-If-You-Dare-Say-One-Word-To-Me! You weren't exactly the nicest, either."

Harry grinned. "Yeah, I know. I didn't put a lot of effort into getting to know anyone, either." He turned back to Chris. "No matter how awful I was to her, she kept coming back. I couldn't understand why."

"You stood up for me against some bullying girls. It wasn't that difficult to figure out. I couldn't _not_ talk to you after that."

Chris laughed. "She wore you down, didn't she?"

Laughing again, Harry nodded. "She managed to make me feel guilty for not being nice to her!"

Harry and Ginny continued the story of their previous year, including their awful fight when Harry had pushed her away before she'd learned his secret, how they'd become a couple, and how his secret had come out at the Burrow, as well as at Hogwarts. Included in the tale were the attacks on Harry and the lack of discipline there.

Chris shook his head. "I don't know what to say. Actually, yes I do. Welcome to Magnolia House. I'm glad you're here."


	13. Secret Sorrows

**_Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad._ _  
_ _―_ _Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_ —Sunday, Sept 11**

Wearily, Harry climbed out of bed on Sunday morning. As he'd warned Chris, it was early, the sun just peeking over the horizon. Dressing quickly in the shirt and shorts he wore to exercise in, he wondered if he was going to have to wake Chris up, or even if he should if Chris was still asleep. The quiet rustle of curtains next to Harry's bed resolved that issue.

"Harry?" Chris barely whispered. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah." Harry finished putting on his shoes, then stepped out of his own bed curtains. "Let's go before Dylan wakes up." Harry felt a bit guilty for not including the other boy, but he just didn't feel as close to him as he did Chris.

The two of them slipped out of their room, carefully closing the door behind them. Harry didn't really fully breathe until they'd made it to the commons area. Sirius was there with a youngish, physically fit man. Ginny hadn't arrived yet. Harry led Chris over to Sirius and the man.

"Ah, here's two of your students, Ladon. Harry, Chris, this is Ladon Draconis. He's going to be working with you three for the next few weeks."

"Harry, it's good to meet you. Sirius has told me a lot about you. I hope to teach you a lot. By the way, I know this week and part of next will be a bit rocky for you. We'll take it a little easier when we have to."

Harry turned to Sirius, brows raised, not sure whether to be angry or surprised. "You told him?"

"I had to. He had to know so he didn't push you harder. There's no getting around the aches and fatigue you experience, and you know it."

Running one hand over his face, Harry sighed. "Yeah, okay, I get it."

At that moment, Ginny entered the commons area from the girls' corridor, her hair in a single long plait and wearing a tee shirt and shorts, her standard exercise attire. Suppressing a yawn, she walked over to join them. Harry had to grin to himself. She had never been one for getting up early, though she did on the mornings after a full moon, simply to be there for him. Taking Ginny's hand, he wove their fingers together.

"And this is Ginny, your other student," Sirius added, finishing the introductions.

"Good. Come with me." Ladon led them through the front door and off the porch, stopping about ten feet away. "Okay, stretch out your muscles. Don't need any injuries."

Harry and Ginny immediately began their pre-run warm-up, helping Chris along the way. That done, they were told to run down to the main gate and back – twice. Chris grumbled, Harry steadied himself, but Ginny said nothing, simply took off. Not wanting to be outdone, Harry darted off after her. Having done some running over the summer, he and Ginny were better equipped to handle their "assignment." Even so, he was out of breath at the end of the second return trip. Ginny wasn't much better, bent over with her hands on her knees. A minute later, Chris stumbled up to them, struggling to draw air into his lungs.

"Now that we're all warmed up, I'll tell you what you'll be learning: hand to hand combat."

Harry exchanged confused looks with Ginny and Chris. "What? Why?"

Suddenly, an arm locked around Harry's neck from behind; another clamped itself around his chest. Harry startled, not having heard a sound behind him. An instant later, he was released. Spinning around, a woman with plaited blonde hair appeared, smirking a bit and stowing her wand.

"That's why," Ladon explained. "With Silencing and Disillusionment Charms, it's very easy to be caught off guard. If you lose your wand, you're defenseless. With this training, you won't be, and you'll have the element of surprise. Sometimes, surprise is what saves your life." To Ginny, he said, "This is especially important for you, given your size. Don't get me wrong, I believe you're as powerful, magically, as anyone, but as it stands, you could easily be overcome physically."

"I suppose I can see the merit in this, then," Harry conceded.

Ladon nodded his acceptance, introduced his partner, who immediately led Ginny a short distance away to begin working, then he began working with the boys, pointing out the human body's prime target areas of arms, legs, neck, head, chest, and groin. Conjuring a practice dummy, he taught them the proper way to throw a punch to maximize damage to the other person while minimizing the damage to themselves. He had them practice throwing punches at their dummy's chest.

Harry winced the first time. It had hurt a lot more than he'd expected. By the way Chris shook his hand, Harry figured he hadn't been any better off. By the fourth punch, Harry had either improved his technique or his hand was numb. Either way, he wasn't feeling it as badly as he had with the first punch. They did that for several solid minutes; Harry wasn't exactly sure for how long, but certainly long enough for his arm and shoulder to begin aching.

Ladon called a halt to the punching. "Okay, looks like you both have that down pretty well. Let's move on. In keeping with the upper body, I'm going to show you how to use your elbow as a weapon."

By the time they'd finished for the morning, Harry was hot, sweaty, tired, and his arm felt as if it would fall off at any moment. Who knew that kind of practice could be so taxing? He and Chris disappeared to get showers, and Ginny did the same. They met up again afterward, headed to breakfast, filled their plates completely, and quickly devoured their food, having worked up a huge appetite.

"Where did you two go so early?" Dylan asked, taking the seat next to Chris. He didn't have a plate with him so Harry assumed he'd already eaten. "I thought maybe you'd come to breakfast already, but when I got here, you weren't here."

Quick glances were exchanged between Harry, Ginny, and Chris before Chris plainly and a bit bluntly said, "Harry needed to talk to me privately."

"Oh." Dylan looked over at Harry. "I get it. Sorry for being nosy."

"It's fine, Dylan."

"Alright, well, see you guys later."

Harry watched Dylan leave, wishing he could bring the other boy into things as well. The simple fact was, he wasn't as comfortable with Dylan. They got along just fine, but didn't have a lot in common. Harry had the feeling that, if Dylan _had_ known everything, he would have opted to not join them. Perhaps it wasn't really Harry's decision to make, but he was fairly certain his assessment was correct, and telling Dylan, without giving him any training to protect himself, was dangerous.

"He knows we weren't entirely truthful."

Chris shrugged a shoulder. "Dylan's a good guy, but he doesn't like conflict. Completely avoids it when he can. He wouldn't be comfortable with what we're doing."

Harry nodded, thinking. "I thought so, too. There's nothing wrong with that. What we're doing isn't for everyone."

After breakfast, the three of them pulled out school books to work on homework. While Harry and Chris worked on a History of Magic essay, Ginny pulled out her Arithmancy. "Harry," she said after a moment, "do you mind if I use your name for my homework? We're supposed to find the Character, Heart, and Social numbers of someone we know, then compare what we know about the person to the characteristics of the numbers."

Harry stopped writing to look up at Ginny. "Er, sure, I suppose. What exactly are the numbers supposed to tell you?"

"Well, the Character number supposedly gives you a general idea of the person's character, hence the name. The Heart number is supposed to represent what lies on the inside, indicating any fears or secrets. The Social number represents the person that the world sees."

Harry's brows rose. "And you believe that?"

"It was fairly accurate for me. It's only a general idea anyway. Not all of the characteristics for the number will apply."

"Hermione really liked Arithmancy," Harry said thoughtfully, thinking back to the many times his friend had marveled over the accuracy of the results. "Sure, go ahead. I suppose I'm a bit interested, now, to see what it says."

The three weren't the only students at tables in the commons area. Some were also working on homework, while others played card games, Wizards' chess, or read. A Wireless played some rock music softly – or maybe it was the section he and the others sat in, for he knew a Muffling Charm had been placed on some tables to allow for better concentration; he just wasn't certain which ones held the charm.

Returning to his essay, Harry read through what he'd written so far. They were supposed to be comparing what was known about Merlin to what the Muggles thought they knew about him, and to surmise how the Muggles came to their conclusions. He was grateful Mr. Lloyd asked for only one foot of writing. Harry chuckled as he remembered the reason Mr. Lloyd had given for the shortness of the essay: he didn't want to spend a lot of time grading essays. Harry chewed the inside of his lip a moment, trying to come up with something else to write.

"Oh, well, that's interesting," Ginny said, her gaze jumping between her parchment and her book.

"What's interesting?" Harry asked, glad to be distracted from his essay.

"Well, according to this, with just your first and last names used, your Character number is 2, your Heart number is 1, and your Social number is 1."

"And what do they mean, according to your book?"

Ginny grinned at him. "Well, listen to this. Then, you can tell me how accurate the idea of Arithmancy really is." She picked up her book and cleared her throat. "A Character number of 2 denotes peace, harmony, commitment, loyalty, and fairness. However, it introduces the idea of conflict or opposing forces, night and day, good and evil, etc. A person with the Character number of two can be withdrawn, moody, self-conscious, and indecisive." She looked up at Harry. "Sound like you, do you think?"

"I don't know about peace and harmony, or the indecisive bit, but yeah, I suppose the rest fits," Harry acknowledged. "What about the other two numbers?"

Ginny consulted her book again. "I'll give you the characteristics for the number 1 since both your Heart and Social numbers are the same. Ones tend to be solitary, loners. They're often focused, determined. They set a goal and stick with it until it's accomplished. They're often leaders or inventors, and don't like to take orders from others. They can also be domineering, egotistical, and self-centered."

"Well, that last part is definitely _not_ me."

"But if the rest of that isn't you, Harry," Chris said with a laugh, "then I'll eat my socks."

Harry had to admit it did sound a lot like him. Maybe there was something to Arithmancy after all. "You said you used just my first and last name. How different is it if you used my middle name, too?"

"Funny you should ask because I figured it up, as well, to see what difference there might be. If your middle name is added, then, your numbers change. Your Character number would be 5, your Heart number would be 7, as well as your Social number."

"The last two numbers are still the same. Odd."

Ginny shrugged. "It's something to do with the number of vowels, consonants, and the specific letters, themselves. Anyway, according to this, five indicates change and uncertainty. Those with five as their Character numbers tend to be adventurous, willing to take risks, and can be energetic. They usually enjoy traveling and meeting new people. The negative characteristics are conceit, irresponsibility, being quick-tempered, and impatient."

Recognizing that he could definitely be quick-tempered and impatient, Harry sheepishly grinned. "Okay, there's definitely something to this. No wonder Hermione is okay with this and not with Divination."

"You said Harry's other number was 7. What does it mean?"

"Perception, understanding, and intelligence. They're often scholarly and enjoy challenges. Money and material possessions are less important than originality and imagination. They can be pessimistic, sarcastic, and insecure."

"I don't think that's me at all. Hermione fits that better than I do."

Ginny's glare at Harry had little actual heat behind it. "Oh, come on, Harry. You're intelligent, understanding, perceptive, and enjoy challenges. You certainly don't care about money. Admit it, you have been all three of those last things, and still are to some extent."

Harry merely shrugged, returning to his essay. A few minutes later, a barn owl dropped onto the table in front of Ginny. While letters usually came at breakfast, Harry had discovered it wasn't unusual for post to arrive throughout the day as well. This one had a small package attached to its leg. He noticed Ginny giving him a real glare. He held up his hands in a defensive gesture.

"I didn't do it. I swear."

Chris laughed. "I think that's the first time I've ever seen a girl upset at the prospect of a gift from her boyfriend."

Harry encouraged Ginny to take the package and see who sent it. To Chris, he said with a smile, "Ginny's different. I learned that the hard way." In a stage whisper he added, "I'm guessing she's a seven, too. That whole thing about money and material possessions being less important."

"I heard that, Harry, and yes, I am a 7. It's my Social Number." Opening the box, she gasped, a smile then spreading across her face. "It's my ring! My ring came back!"

Harry plucked the ring out of the box before Ginny could do so herself. Making certain it was turned the right way, he slipped it onto her finger, a satisfied smile on his face. "Much better," he said, admiring it. "I missed seeing it there."

Looking down at the ring on her right ring finger, Ginny nodded. "I did, too. Now, we won't have to worry about it affecting you." She turned to explain to Chris. "He bought me the ring and didn't even think to check if it was made of silver. My brother put a temporary charm on it to protect Harry, but we knew it wouldn't last so, when we went school shopping, we had a permanent charm placed on it."

Chris snorted. "You didn't check it's metallic content? Seems that would be a rather important thing to check, all things considered."

Harry sheepishly shrugged a shoulder. "I was too happy to have found it. Even if I had checked it, I still would have bought it. Once I had it, I didn't touch its box again until I gave it to Ginny for her birthday."

A few more minutes of friendly teasing ensued before the three focused on their studies once more. Harry finished off his History of Magic essay and began his and Ginny's Ancient Runes homework. It wasn't overly difficult. They simply had to translate their names into Runes, then translate the Runes seen on the school's outside wall at the main gate. The last thing they had to do was cast their Rune stones, write down what turned up – in the directions they turned up – then attempt to decipher what they meant.

Before long, Ginny was also working on her own Ancient Runes homework and casting her own Rune stones. She and Harry had a friendly debate over her interpretations. Chris just shook his head and muttered how glad he was for not taking that class. For an hour, the only sound at their table was the scratching of quills against parchment, not one of them willing to put off their homework. Harry, especially, didn't want to put it off, since the following day marked the seven day countdown to the next full moon. He just hoped being settled for the two weeks prior to his transformation would make it more like normal, and not how it had been the previous month with all the traveling they had done. He supposed he'd soon find out.

0000—Sept 12, Monday

When Harry woke the next morning, he found the pain he always felt on the first day of the countdown to the full moon to be bearable, more like he'd over-exercised a bit. Heartened by that, he dressed quickly for his training. Rustling from the bed next to his told him Chris was also awake and preparing for their 'class.' Harry briefly considered stopping by the Infirmary and taking his potion, but decided it would likely be better to take it _after_ his exertion.

Training consisted of learning how to take someone down, whether over the shoulder or from the ground, using conjured and animated training dummies. Harry loved it! He felt more disciplined, more in control of himself than ever before, not to mention the self-confidence that came with knowing he had a few tricks up his sleeve if he ever was in tight spot and had to defend himself or Ginny. His thoughts having turned to her, he glanced surreptitiously in her direction. She'd been working with

Ladon's partner a short distance away this past week, but had joined himself and Chris this morning. According to Ginny, Danae had thought Ginny would be more comfortable working by herself. He watched admiringly as she knocked her much taller training dummy off its feet.

Suddenly, his world shifted and he hit the ground hard, flat on his back, struggling to inhale. Gasping, he attempted to figure out what just happened. From above him, Ladon leaned over, grinning like the disappearing cat he'd once read about in a Muggle's book.

"Get distracted there, eh? Now isn't the time to let your attention wander to more pleasant things."

Harry, glad color already stained his cheeks from his physical efforts, felt himself blush in embarrassment. "Lesson learned," he wheezed.

Ladon nodded. "Alright, then." He consulted his watch. "That's a good place to stop. It'll give Harry a chance to catch his breath. Good job all three of you. You're progressing greatly. We might just throw magic into the mix to see what happens, but that's some other time. See you three tomorrow."

The three re-entered the building, Chris good-naturedly ribbing Harry over his distraction, causing Ginny to blush a little and laugh. Harry bid the other two goodbye, saying he'd meet up with them at breakfast. It was still early enough that it was unlikely he'd be seen leaving the Infirmary by anyone passing by if he stepped in and took his potion now rather than after his shower.

Stepping inside, he was met by a voice completely unexpected. "Ah, there you are. I'd hoped I hadn't missed you."

Harry had been trying to close the door softly and, therefore, hadn't noticed anyone else. Startled to hear the voice of Miss Lena's husband, Alex, Harry whirled in that direction. Alex, already holding a smoking cup in one hand, picked up the last one from the table beside him and held it out towards Harry.

"Best to simply get it over with," he wryly added.

A boy standing next to Alex turned in Harry's direction, and Harry suffered another little shock. Lew was standing beside Alex with a smoking cup in his own hand! Harry had known there was one other werewolf here, but he never would have expected there to be two! The Headmistress's husband, at that! Harry then snorted. Naturally, he'd pick the one student in the entire school like him to _not_ get along with. Perhaps this was _why_ he didn't get along with Lew. Perhaps the wolf inside him could sense the wolf inside Lew and saw him as a rival? Harry shook his head, muttering to himself how ridiculous the idea sounded.

Joining the other two, Harry took the cup of potion from Alex, fully aware of Lew's gaze. When Lew failed to say a word, Harry brusquely asked, "What?"

Lew chuckled. "I should have known it was you. I knew there was something different about you, but I couldn't figure out what it was. When we had that little disagreement, I should have figured it out. All that strength had to have come from somewhere, after all. I just can't believe I didn't realize it."

Harry shrugged. "It's not exactly something I go around admitting."

"Let's get these potions down," Alex cut in, "then there's something I want to discuss with the two of you."

Harry watched, incredulous, as Alex and Lew clinked their cups together as if they were drinking something far less foul than the Wolfsbane Potion. How in Merlin's name could they be so blasé about it? Like the potion meant absolutely nothing? Surely they didn't think that, did they? Harry silently watched as the two guzzled their potions, wondering if they were trying to beat the other in finishing. Harry received his answer when Alex smacked his cup onto the table and proclaimed himself the victor, with Lew right behind him, both shuddering.

"You haven't even touched yours," Alex admonished upon seeing Harry's full cup. "You need to get that down. Other students will be getting up and about soon." Harry thought his disbelief must have still shown on his face because Alex explained. "We make a game of it so that it's easier to take. No sense dragging the experience out longer than it needs to be, right?"

"I suppose so."

"Right. Drink up, then." He waited until Harry began to drink before continuing with what he'd wanted to discuss with them. "When a lycan shows up here, we stay on school grounds during the full moon until their fourth year." Alex grinned at the two of them. "This year, _mes loups_ , weather permitting, we'll be leaving school grounds."

"Really?" Lew asked, his eyes gleaming at the prospect. "Where will we be going?"

Harry finished off his potion and set his cup next to the others. "Isn't that dangerous? I mean, if we're spotted …"

"Oh, don't worry. It'll be clear of people by the time we get there."

"Where is it, then?" Lew persisted, obviously put out that his question hadn't been answered yet.

"We're going to a little area within Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. I know it like the back of my hand, I've spent so much time there."

Harry wasn't convinced it was a great idea. "Won't we be disturbing the food chain or something? Three wolves showing up suddenly?"

Alex shook his head. "If we were normal wolves and there to hunt, then yes, we would be. However, we'll just be there to nose around."

"And our transformations? I mean, they're not exactly fun to endure."

"I know. I have it all planned. We'll each have our own tents. I'll have our 'campsite' warded against anyone who might happen to be within sight or hearing distance. Don't worry. I've even received permission for us to go." Alex glanced up at the clock on the far wall. "Now, you both need to go prepare yourselves for class."

Harry nodded his agreement. "I've got to get a shower still."

Harry and Lew bid Alex goodbye, walking back to the entrance to the boys' dorms together. Lew turned to Harry, "Hey, man, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to Chris. He doesn't know."

Harry stopped and stared at Lew. "Really? Maybe he should. He's been really great with me."

It was Lew's turn to stare at Harry. "You told him?"

"I did. Give him a chance. He might surprise you. Either way, I won't say a word." From where he was standing, facing the commons area with Lew in front of him, Harry thought he saw the quick flash of red hair. "I need to go get cleaned up. I think I just saw Ginny and I'm supposed to meet her at breakfast."

Lew chuckled. "Yeah, you should probably get on that, then. Say, look, I really am sorry about _that_ day. Now that I know, I can see why I reacted to you the way I did." He held out his hand. "Truce?"

Harry hesitated for only a second before accepting the offered hand. "Yeah, sure."

"Alright, then, see you later."

Harry nodded, returning to his room to gather what he needed for his shower. Chris and Dylan were already mostly dressed. Chris looked up. "Cutting it a bit close, aren't you?"

Checking the clock on his bedside table, Harry turned back to Chris, grinning. "Technically, no, but I think Ginny's already showered and dressed, so yes, you could say that I am." His hands full, he dashed out the door.

0000

After lunch, Hedwig, looking completely spent, dropped onto the arm of Harry's chair in the commons area, her feathers ruffled and her eyes droopy. Tied to her leg was a tightly rolled scroll. Harry mildly admonished his friend for tiring herself out, then profusely thanked her for being so quick to return. Hedwig gave an exhausted little whistle and immediately settled in to sleep.

"Harry, is that what I think it is?" Ginny asked softly.

Harry glanced over at his girlfriend to find her staring excitedly at the roll of parchment in his hand. Her enthusiasm seemed to mirror his own. He smiled. "I think so. Let me check." Untying the string that kept the scroll furled, Harry looked over the parchment and laughed. "It is! He did it, Ginny!"

"Of course he did! You knew he could."

"Well, I had certainly hoped, but to be honest, I wasn't entirely certain."

Seeing Chris' confusion, Ginny explained. "It's some old research that Harry found at Hogwarts. By law, he took possession of it when it wasn't claimed. He asked our friend Neville to get it back from the Headmaster who had kept it since he was also the Head of the Wizengamot." She grinned broadly. "He did it!"

"What's this research? If you don't mind me asking, of course. Feel free to tell me to mind my own business."

Harry exchanged glances with Ginny before deciding to answer Chris. "Someone once worked on a potion to suppress the werewolf transformation."

Chris' jaw dropped. "You're kidding! That's great, Harry!"

"Whoever it was never actually managed to get it to work. I'm going to give this Mr. Philter to see if he thinks it can be done." Harry shrugged. "Not sure that it can be, really. Hogwarts' Potions Master couldn't get it right." Harry's face twisted at the not-so-fond memory. "Really messed me up there for a bit."

Ginny snorted scornfully. "That's because Snape hates you, Harry. He didn't try very hard. According to Madam Pomfrey, he practically overdosed you!" She shook her head. "Don't paint Mr. Philter with the same brush. I'm sure he can work it out."

Harry flashed her a smile and rolled the parchment again. "You're right. Mr. Philter is definitely different from Snape." He collected the Potions and Transfiguration books he'd been perusing in anticipation of the afternoon classes. "I think I'm going to go see Mr. Philter now so that he has time to actually look everything over."

Chris checked the time before putting out a restraining hand. "You might want to rethink that. Our lunch starts earlier than the upperclassman's lunch. Mr. Philter may not even be out of class yet."

Seeing it was only half eleven, Harry let out an annoyed breath. "Bugger. I guess I'll have to wait, then, won't I?"

Harry returned to flipping through his books, not seeing anything that was the least bit interesting, his thoughts lying more on the scroll in front of him than on the words and moving instructional photos in his texts, the fingers of his free hand using the table's surface as a drum. Eventually, Ginny huffed in frustration and smacked her hand over his to cease its incessant tapping.

"Come on, Harry," Ginny said, gathering her own schoolbooks. "Sitting here isn't doing you any good and it's making me mental. You need a distraction. Let's go for a bit of a walk."

Harry sighed heavily, knowing he had been making himself mental. He ran a hand through his hair, then nodded. "Yeah, alright."

"Well, don't sound so enthused, Potter. If you really don't want to go, stay here. I'll go walk by myself." Ginny stuffed her books into her rucksack with sharp motions, whirled around, and stalked away.

Harry's jaw dropped. "What? No! That's not … I didn't mean to … Ginny, wait!"

Harry rushed to put his books and the scroll into his own rucksack, startling Hedwig from her perch on his chair, and completely missed the wink Ginny threw at Chris. He didn't bother organizing it in any sort of fashion, just threw the strap over his shoulder and hurried to catch up to Ginny, who had stopped several steps away, her arms across her chest. Harry gulped at her expression. She really didn't look pleased. He, apparently, was in for it whenever they were out of earshot of everyone. While he loved her temper, he hated having it turned on him. He wasn't even sure what he'd done wrong, but he'd grovel at her feet if it saved him from being hexed.

She didn't appear to want to talk so Harry kept silent as they walked out the back door, past the school buildings, and down to the pitch. They stopped in the shade of one of the stands, Ginny using her hand to push him up against one of the supports, and still looking as if she'd rather smack him than talk. He was half right. Talking certainly wasn't on her mind.

She reached up, buried her hands in his hair and pulled him down to her, snogging him for all she was worth. Completely stunned, Harry was unable to respond for a moment before instinct kicked in. His arms encircled Ginny's waist, holding her close. Harry lost all sense of time and place, exhilarating feelings swirling around inside him, making breathing difficult.

Just as he was about to pull back to catch his breath, Ginny shocked him again by capturing one of his hands and pushing it upward to a part of her he'd only dreamed of touching. Gasping, Harry stared down at her, unsure what to do. Should he move his hand? Should he leave it? Did she even realize what she'd done? Her face flushed, eyes a darker brown than usual, she stared up at him. He'd just about decided to move his hand when she smiled.

"I like it there, Harry."

Harry liked it there too – very much so – but he wasn't sure it should be there. Once again, she spoke before he could.

"Don't think about it, Harry. Just feel."

Just feel? That was all he _could_ do! That was the problem! He was feeling way too much! His heart pounded in his chest; he could barely draw breath. His entire body shook with how much he was feeling!

Determined to say something, Harry licked his lips. "Gin-" His voice cracked and he had to clear his throat. "Ginny, we, er, should … we probably shouldn't be ..."

Harry silently groaned when Ginny shoved his other hand upward. Oh, sweet Merlin, help him! Harry closed his eyes as he fought to regain some semblance of control over himself. The beast inside him had awakened and was practically begging for more. Reflexively, his hands tightened, which really didn't help matters any at all.

"I really, _really_ like them there, Harry," Ginny whispered. "I think I've wanted them there for some time, actually. It started with that kiss in the lift at the hotel, I think."

"But, Ginny-"

"Does it feel good to you?"

More than he could possibly say. It felt like Heaven and Hell rolled into one. Harry nodded in response, still unable to speak much, hoping he didn't die from the sensations he was experiencing.

"Good," Ginny whispered as she leaned close to him. "That's your new boundary." Then, she kissed him again, a sweet, heart-felt, tender kiss that was no less passionate than the one they'd started with.

Harry slowly pulled his lips from hers, resting his head against hers as he labored to breathe. The monster side of him howled in frustration. He swallowed with difficulty. Harry feared what Uncle Remus had warned him about had now begun, if the way the monster clawing at his chest, urging him to go on, was any indication. Closing his eyes, Harry fought to subdue the savage wolf's instincts. He would _not_ give in to it. He wouldn't do that to Ginny. She didn't even have a clue what she'd done!

Very slowly, Harry managed to slide his hands away from her softness to safer territory, gripping her waist. Gently, he placed a kiss on her forehead. Several minutes passed before he managed to wrestle the wolf into submission and relax.

"Harry?"

Ginny's tentative voice had him opening his eyes to look into hers. She seemed … uncertain … worried. Harry hoped he'd managed to hide his struggle. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry about what he might do, or be tempted to do.

Making certain he touched nothing as his hand lifted, he cupped her cheek, smiling gently. "That was bloody brilliant, Ginny."

Ginny responded with her own smile, looking relieved. "Glad you liked it," she said with a bit of her usual cheekiness. "I know I did. I'd heard some girls talking in the loo about how it felt to be touched there. I've wanted to have you touch me like that for a while now, as I said, so I finally decided to just … move your hands myself."

Harry's inner beast sat up and roared its happiness. Clearing his throat, Harry said, "Well, it was certainly unexpected. All of it was, really. I thought I was in some serious trouble or something."

"Why would you have been trouble?"

"Haven't a clue, but I'd been prepared to beg your forgiveness."

Ginny laughed. "I'd almost like to see that. No, you needed a distraction, so, what better way to distract you?"

Harry's good mood vanished. "So, you only did that because you wanted to take my mind off the scroll?"

Exasperated, Ginny huffed. "Of course not, you prat! Have you not been listening? I've wanted that! Hearing those girls in the loo and then you needing to be distracted … well, it gave me the push I needed."

Instantly mollified, Harry smiled again. "It certainly worked. I haven't thought of the scroll once until just now." His smile melted away as worry furrowed his brow. "Are you sure we're not … I mean, you're thirteen … I'm fairly certain most thirteen-year-olds don't do this."

"I don't know, Harry," Ginny said with a shrug, seemingly unconcerned. "All I can say is I'm not like most thirteen-year-olds and you're not exactly a normal fourteen-year-old, either. I know werewolves tend to age faster, physically." She shrugged again, this time a little more unsure. "I've often wondered if maybe I am, too. Not at the rate you are, but still …"

Harry clenched his jaw at the thought, once again cursing himself for having scarred her. Ginny should have been clean and whole … untouched by the darkness. But she wasn't and it was his fault. He'd done that to her. A rather sharp smack to the back of his head pulled him from his bleak thoughts. Reaching up, he rubbed at the tender spot.

"Sorry, Harry, but you didn't need to go down that path again. There's no point in dwelling on what can't be changed. You know that."

Harry sheepishly laughed. "Yeah. I just hate all the changes that you're having to go through because of what I did to you."

Ginny reached up to caress Harry's cheek. "I know, Harry, but you didn't do it on purpose. Who knows? Maybe I'll slowly gain some advantage, like better senses or something. Not super sharp, just better."

"I suppose," Harry allowed reluctantly.

"I wish there was someone I could talk to about it all."

"Well," Harry said, drawing out the word, "there might be. I think you could talk to Miss Lena. She might be able to answer a few questions for you."

"What? How would Miss Lena have any answers?"

"It's not for me to say, but I think she might surprise you."

Ginny looked up at him skeptically for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Maybe I will." She took his hand. "Come on. It must be getting close to time for class. Maybe you can catch Mr. Philter and give him that research."

Following Ginny, Harry squinted in the bright sun, his eyes having been used to the deep shade they'd previously stood in. Little tingles of awareness tickled his fingertips and palm where they contacted with hers, relighting the urge to drag Ginny back into the deep shadows. Inhaling slowly, Harry forced away those thoughts and focused on what could be the beginning of a new life, a life where the painful transformations were a thing of the past, a life where he could be just a little more normal.

0000

That evening, Harry's study session with Ginny and Chris was interrupted by another owl, this one a Great Horned Owl. It landed lightly on the table, barely disturbing the school books and parchment scattered there, the brown paper wrapped package tied to its foot not making the least bit of sound as it contacted the surface. Harry relieved the bird of its burden, thanking it for its trouble. The owl's response was to lift its great wings and lift off silently, disappearing back the way it had come.

"What's that?" Ginny asked, looking up from her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework.

Turning the package over, Harry noticed a familiar wax seal. "It's from Gringotts. Oh! I think I know what this is." He tore the paper off to find an old, rather thick, leather bound tome with gold lettering on the front cover. "It's the Potter family history. I asked them if there was such a book in my vault and if they'd send it to me if there was."

"That's great, Harry!" Ginny enthused, her eyes bright with joy. "You deserve to know more about your ancestors. Maybe there's someone famous!"

Harry snorted at that. "Gee, thanks ever so much."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

Harry grinned. "Of course I do." Tempted though he was to ignore his Transfiguration homework in favor of looking through his family history, he set the book down, out of easy reach. "I'll look through it later."

"So, Harry," Chris started to casually ask, "did Mr. Philter get a chance to look over that information?"

Harry's mind flashed back to earlier in the day when he'd been sidetracked by Ginny out by the pitch. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, and he could feel heat wanting to crawl up his neck into his face. Harry had avoided thinking about that time spent with Ginny all through dinner, though he figured Chris would ask at some point. It still unsettled him how quickly that other instinct kicked in, pushing him to take things further. Even now, her presence called to the wolf inside him, making him long to be alone with her, and subsequently, glad that he wasn't.

Harry shifted in his seat a bit. "Not really. I gave it to him and explained what it was, but he only managed a quick scan of it before class started. I'm sure he'll say one way or the other once he's had some time."

"Well, I hope it works for you."

"Thanks. I do, too."

For a minute or two, the only sound at their table was the scratching of quill against parchment. Then, Chris cleared his throat and lowered his voice even further when he said, "Lew told me."

Harry looked up at his friend. From the serious look on Chris' face, Harry surmised that Lew had confided in Chris finally. Honestly, Harry was a bit surprised Lew had done it so quickly. Harry had the feeling the other boy hadn't been all that ready to admit to what he was, not to Chris at any rate.

"Good," was all Harry could think to say.

"He said you'd encouraged him to talk to me."

"I did." At Chris' questioning expression, Harry added, "I did because I knew you'd be understanding, as you have been with me."

"Well, thanks for that, Harry. I don't know why I never realized it. I guess it he just hid it well, or maybe I just ignored the signs. I don't know."

"Don't worry about it, Chris," Ginny said upon realizing just what was being said. "Some are quite adept at hiding it."

Harry scowled at his girlfriend, irritation flaring inside his chest. "Because some of us have had to."

Ginny, brow furrowed in confusion over his sudden ire, stated, "I know that. I also know that the full moon is coming, but reign it in, Harry."

His ire instantly evaporating, Harry sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you didn't mean anything by what you said. In fact, it's completely true. For some reason, it just made me irritated."

"Obviously," Ginny said dryly.

Harry sighed heavily, staring at the parchment in front of him a moment before gathering his school stuff. "Look, I think I'm going to bed. I'll see you both in the morning."

"Harry?" Ginny queried, concern in her eyes as they followed his every movement.

Harry tried to smile to reassure her, but he wasn't certain he managed it very well. "I'm just tired, Ginny."

With a quick peck to her cheek, Harry grabbed his bag and quickly made his way to the boys' corridor. Once he was a certain distance away, he sighed again, this time in relief. That "pull" he'd been feeling had lessened now that he'd put some space between himself and Ginny. Rubbing at his eyes as he entered his room, Harry wondered how he would cope with what he was feeling. It hadn't been a full day yet and he was already on edge! That urge was only going to get stronger, from what Uncle Remus intimated.

Dropping his bag onto the floor in his room, Harry flopped back onto his bed. Maybe he should take his own advice and talk to someone, namely Alex. Surely, he'd know what it was like to be in this position, wouldn't he? Yes, Uncle Remus had said that this didn't always happen to all werewolves, but Harry felt certain that Alex would have undergone something similar before he and Miss Lena had married. While the thought of discussing something so personal didn't sit well with him, Harry decided he should probably at least try to talk about it. A plan of action decided upon, Harry changed his clothes, and surprisingly, fell asleep quickly.

0000

 _Harry led Ginny to a huge tree to get out the hot sun. They were in an empty field, no school in sight – and they were alone. They laughed and joked for a few minutes, but then they were kissing fervently, his hands sliding from her hair to her waist and back again. His heart racing, he trailed kisses down her neck and up to her ear. A small part of him knew they were quickly entering dangerous territory, but he couldn't seem to stop himself._

 _Distracted as he was, Harry didn't notice the Screech Owl that landed in the tree above him, nor did he see the owl transform into a long-haired, skeletal-looking woman with hands that appeared to be painfully contorted, though they did not seem to hinder the woman's ability to hold onto the tree limb underneath her with one, and wave the other toward the couple._

 _Harry suddenly found himself flung away from Ginny. The awakened beast inside him howled at the interruption, and Harry drew his wand, aiming it at the intruder. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ginny running toward him, looking fearful, but she came to a sudden stop as if she'd hit a solid, invisible wall. She yelled and banged her fists against the wall to no avail. She tried casting spells, but that had no effect, either._

 _The woman laughed a sandpaper-like laugh, and waved her hand again. An unseen force shoved his wand towards Ginny. Words appeared in his head, terrifying words that he couldn't stop from spilling out of his mouth. He watched in horror as a jet of light left his wand, sliced right through the invisible barrier keeping Ginny from him, and struck her full in the chest, sending her flying against the tree trunk, falling to the ground, and lying still._

" _NOOOO! GINNY!"_

 _The woman cackled maniacally. "Come, wolf. You shall do my bidding, for I have control over all of your kind."_

 _The woman leaped nimbly to the ground, walked up to him, caressed his face, and continued walking away. Against his will, Harry turned away from the tree, away from Ginny, as it burst into flame._

Harry jerked upright, chest heaving, heart pounding. His shirt felt clammy from his sweat as it clung to him. He ran a trembling hand down his face as he attempted to force the ghastly images from his mind. Fumbling for his glasses, Harry put them on and checked the time. Three o'clock. Harry silently groaned. Two more hours and he would have been getting up anyway. Why couldn't he have just awakened at _that_ time instead?

Fearing he wouldn't be getting any more sleep, he silently gathered his shower necessities and exercise clothes, then slipped out of the room. Despite the hot water, he still shivered, his mind stuck on his nightmare. What had prompted it? Well, he could guess about the first part, but the rest of it? What part of his brain was so twisted to have conjured that? He shivered again as he turned off the water, dried himself and dressed, wincing at the increase in stiffness in his muscles and joints. Did those images have any particular meaning? Or were they simply bits of stories he'd read somewhere, mashed together to form such horrific images?

Returning to his room just long enough to put away his toiletries, Harry crept out to the commons area and dropped onto one of the sofas to wait for Ginny and Chris, though a very large part of him practically begged him to find some way to see Ginny right this second – there just wasn't any way to do so. He had to content himself with the knowledge that he would see her soon enough.

0000 Monday, Sept 19

By the time the evening of the full moon arrived, Harry couldn't have been happier. Every night for the past week, he'd been plagued by nightmares, always starting with him and Ginny in somewhat compromising positions and ending with that ghoulish, skeletal woman leading him away from a burning Ginny like a gruesome Pied Piper. He hated the inability to control himself in the dream. She commanded, and he obeyed, without a single thought. It was highly disconcerting. Between his lack of sleep, his soreness, and the ever-increasing urge to haul Ginny outside away from prying eyes and … well, needless to say, he'd been in a nasty mood, his temper flaring at the most inconsequential of things, and Ginny often bore the brunt of it. It had become so bad that he'd taken to studying in the library, usually alone.

So, yes, Harry was very glad for it to be over for another month. At least, he hoped it all would wane with the moon, though the wild need in regards to Ginny, he feared, wouldn't abate that easily. He sat in his tent, contemplating everything, as he waited for the change to come. As Alex, Miss Lena's husband, had promised, he'd taken Harry and Lew to the Wildlife Refuge. In a clearing along the bank of a grassy marsh, the three of them had pitched tents. They'd taken a Portkey to an area that Alex was very familiar with. After reassuring them that they wouldn't be disturbed, he helped them with the tents, adding Silencing Charms on each one.

Harry felt the beginning cramps of his transformation and quickly removed his glasses, tucking them into the bedding near his pillow. His shoes and socks went next. He had a difficult time removing his shirt as the cramps grew sharper. Harry gasped, doubling over, clutching at his stomach. He managed to finish disrobing before the pain became too intense. Within seconds, all Harry was aware of was the shifting of his joints and organs.

0000

"Ginny, can we talk to you?"

Ginny looked up from her homework to see Raven standing beside her, Amelie not far away, and both looking anxious. Ginny's gaze turned to Chris, who was sitting across from her, doing his own homework. Deciding she hadn't really accomplished much, her mind on Harry rather than her studies, she packed up her school work.

"I'll see you later, Chris."

"Yeah, sure," Chris said, his gaze flicking between the three girls.

Ginny followed her friends into their dorm and dropped her bag at the end of her bed. "What's wrong?"

The two other girls sat on Raven's bed facing Ginny. Raven was the one to speak. "Ginny, Amelie and I are a bit concerned over what we've seen this week."

Ginny stared at her friends, confused. "Concerned? About what?"

Raven and Amelie exchanged looks, then Raven spoke again. Ginny had the impression Raven was the one to set up this … whatever it was. "Ginny," Raven started tentatively, "we've seen how Harry's been this past week, heard the things he's said to you. Ginny … he's been rather abusive. Amelie and I are worried about what else he might do to you. Yelling is just the beginning. You can't let it continue."

Shocked at what her friends were thinking, Ginny could only stare at the two of them for a full minute before the hilarity of it sent her into fits of laughter.

"This isn't a laughing matter," Amelie said, finally speaking up.

Ginny had bent over from laughing so hard. Now, she straightened, holding her aching stomach muscles with one hand, while wiping her eyes with the other. Catching her breath, she finally got out, "Ordinarily, no, but in this case …" She broke into giggles again.

Raven's arms crossed over her chest, her expression darkening. "How can you think this is funny? He could hurt you one day!"

"He could," Ginny allowed, thinking of the night Remus had died, "but he won't."

Raven snorted derisively. "That's what they all say – and they find out otherwise."

Ginny shook her head. "He's just having a bad week."

"That's often said, too. Look, I know what I'm talking about, okay? This isn't a healthy relationship."

Amelie took up the cause. "The things he said to you, the way he said them? There was so much anger there, Ginny. You _have_ to see that things can go terribly wrong."

"Look, I know you two mean well, but you have it all wrong. Harry isn't like that."

"Looked like it to me," Raven retorted.

Ginny debated on how much to say. While she didn't think Harry would be upset with her telling the girls, she just didn't quite feel right speaking out of turn – it wasn't her secret. She looked up at the others and saw that they weren't going to let it go. Realizing it could turn ugly for Harry if she didn't say _something,_ she took a deep breath and said as much as she could without actually saying anything.

"You know how we get moody one week a month?" She received two nods. "Well, Harry does, too. Check your calendar."

Raven stared at her blankly, so Amelie stood and retrieved a desk calendar. Bringing it back, she sat again on the bed next to Raven. Ginny nodded. "Notice anything about today?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. There's just the day of the week, the date, and the lunar cy …" Amelie's head shot up, eyes round. "It's a full moon tonight."

"Yes, it is."

"Are you saying Harry is a …?"

Ginny didn't respond immediately, instead choosing to study her friends. "If that were the case, would it change how you saw him? Would it change your opinion of him? And I don't mean if you would not think he was abusive anymore. I mean, generally speaking, would you treat him differently than you have in the past?"

Amelie was quick to answer, her usually light French accent a bit thicker. " _Non_ , I would not."

Ginny smiled gratefully at the girl before turning to Raven. "Would you?"

Raven hung her head. "No, of course not. That's not something he can help. I'm so sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to make assumptions. It's just … he was so awful to you this week that I -"

"It's alright, Raven. You were looking out for me, and I appreciate that. Just know that your concern isn't warranted. Harry loves me and would never hurt me." Ginny held up her right hand to remind the girls of her ring. "This proves it. It's made of silver. We've had protection charms placed on it so that he can touch it." Walking over to the window, she stared out at the moonlit grounds. She felt like crying. "I hate what he has to go through. It's an excruciating transformation, and it's not something you ever forget if you're ever unfortunate enough to hear it."

Ginny felt a hand gently land on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. He's very lucky to have you."

A small smile gracing her features, Ginny looked over her shoulder. "Thanks, Amelie."

"Why don't I teach you a few phrases in French, ones that you can say to Harry?" Amelie smiled encouragingly, then winked. "After all, French is known as the language of love."

Thinking it could be fun to learn some more phrases, and that it would be good to get her mind off Harry for a little while, Ginny agreed. As the hour grew late, they decided to go to bed, since they did have classes the next day. Ginny changed her clothes, then lay in bed, her mind, once again, on Harry. She hoped he was okay. Setting her alarm to wake her up earlier than usual so that she could see Harry when he returned, she fell into a restless sleep.

0000

As Harry explored his new surroundings and Ginny talked with her friends, Chris abandoned his school work to contemplate – and worry about – his missing friends. His elbows propped on the table, he folded his hands and rested his chin against them. What must they be going through? Chris couldn't even begin to imagine. If the looks of Harry were anything to go by, it certainly wasn't a pleasant ordeal. He couldn't believe the stuff that came out of Harry's mouth at times. Chris knew Harry hadn't meant any of it, but still …

"Knut for your thoughts?"

Chris startled a bit at the unexpected voice. Miss Lena had sat in Ginny's abandoned chair. Chris shrugged. "Just doing some thinking."

His Headmistress studied him a bit before standing and motioning for him to follow. Gathering his homework and tossing it into his bag, he followed her to her office, taking the seat and butterbeer she offered. It surprised him a bit that she closed her door.

"Does it bother you?" Miss Lena asked, taking her seat behind her desk. "Knowing what they are?"

Chris's brows jumped at her question, though he didn't know why he was so surprised. He'd been attending this school for a few years now. He should have been used to her uncanny ability to know just what her students were thinking.

"No," he finally answered, "not at all. I was just thinking about it all. I mean, Harry looked awful the closer tonight came. And the things he said to Ginny? I know he didn't mean any of it, but man, it was bad."

Miss Lena nodded thoughtfully. "The full moon has the same basic effects on lycans, but the extent of those effects tends to vary. Harry and Lew are two prime examples. I know Lew spoke to you about this. With Lew, he grows quiet as the full moon approaches, sometimes rather melancholic. Harry, as you've already mentioned, suffers extreme mood swings. The closer the full moon, the more intense the effects become. It's not something they can completely control."

"I understand that. I know Ginny does too, but I could still tell that it hurt her to hear that stuff. Then, he started avoiding her altogether."

"I'm sure it probably did, just as I'm sure Harry felt worse for lashing out at her in the first place. Believe me when I say, they will be just fine. The best thing for you to do is support them during these times. If Harry's temper starts to get the better of him, tell him so. I'm sure Ginny has done the same."

Chris gave a laugh. "Yeah, when she could. It did seem to help – for a little while anyway."

"That's normal." She paused a moment, then asked, "Feel better?"

"Yeah, I do, actually. Thanks, Miss Lena."

"You're quite welcome, child. Now, go on. Finish your studies."

Chris nodded, picked up his bag, and left. He didn't feel like returning to his table, however. Instead, he decided to go on to his room. Dropping onto his bed, he folded his hands under his head. He glanced over at Harry's bed, its curtains drawn. He didn't know how Harry stood it, but he, Chris, was certainly going to find a way to as well. A thought occurred to him and he set his alarm to get him up an hour before the time he normally did, hoping it would be early enough to meet his friends when they came back.

Not long after that, Dylan walked in. "Where's Harry? I haven't seen him all evening. Obviously, he's not with Ginny, either. What's up with those two, by the way? Are they fighting?"

Chris froze for a moment. This scenario never even crossed his mind, though it should have. What should he say? Harry hadn't said anything to Dylan, so Chris knew he shouldn't either. Maybe he could simply ignore the first part of what Dylan had asked.

"No, they're not really fighting. Harry's just had a hard time this week is all. Things will be back to normal tomorrow. You'll see." He certainly hoped they were.

"Oh, well, that's good. If ever there were two people who were sickeningly cute together, it's those two, the lucky dude."

Chris let out a laugh at that. "Yeah, they do tend to get a bit mushy, don't they?"

Dylan nodded as he changed into his usual sleeping attire of t-shirt and gym shorts. "Yes, they do! I even overheard them once speaking some other language to each other. From their expressions, it was something overly sappy."

"It's kind of sweet, though," Chris said.

"Ugh. If you ask me, the dude has completely lost it. I mean, Ginny's pretty and all, but to completely lose himself like that?" Dylan laughed. "No dignity."

Chris chuckled and said what Harry had once said to him. "Just you wait until you find that special girl for you. We'll see how mushy _you_ get."

"Ain't happening." With that, Dylan closed his curtains around his bed.

Chris decided to change his own clothes. Pulling his curtains closed, he sighed and tried to clear his mind enough to sleep.

0000

When her alarm went off, Ginny jumped up to turn it off. Raven sleepily asked if it was time to get up already. "No, it's still early. Go back to sleep. I'm getting up now because I want to meet Harry when he comes in."

Raven exited her bed curtains. "I want to wait with you."

Ginny paused in dressing to look over at her friend. "You do?"

"Yes, I do."

Touched by the show of solidarity, Ginny looked away and nodded. "Okay. We'll likely be sitting awhile, though."

"I don't care."

The curtains swished back from Amelie's bed. "I'm coming, too."

"Thanks, both of you. I really appreciate it."

Ginny finished dressing, then threw her hair up into a ponytail. When the other girls were ready, the trio stole out to one of the sofas in the commons area, and settled in to wait.

0000

A door opening jolted Ginny upright. She ran a hand down her face, unable to believe she'd fallen asleep. Three weary people walked through the front door. Suddenly wide awake, she rushed over, only to jerk to a halt before reaching Harry, not sparing the other two a glance. He looked so done in, sporting a few scratches on his arms. Calmly, she moved to take him in her arms, gently holding him. They stood there a long moment, Harry leaning heavily on her. She could feel him tremble and knew he was close to collapsing.

"Come on, _mon loup_ ," Ginny all but whispered, "let's get you into a bed."

Ducking under his right arm, Ginny supported his weight, leaving her left arm around his waist. She looked over at his companions. Of all the people in the school, she would have suspected Lew and Miss Lena's husband the least to be a lycan. Lew looked only slightly better than Harry, while Miss Lena's husband simply appeared tired.

"Where are they going?" Ginny asked, knowing she couldn't very well help Harry to his dorm room.

"To the Infirmary. They can take the morning to recuperate there."

Ginny nodded in acknowledgment, then helped Harry cross the room, not sparing anyone a glance, not even Miss Lena herself or Sirius, who had joined them all. Too focused on Harry, she missed the sympathetic looks given her and Harry by their friends. In the case of the girls, guilt at their terrible assumptions mixed with their sympathy.

It took a few minutes, but Ginny finally managed to get Harry to a bed. The school nurse gave Harry a pain potion, then ordered him to rest, before doing the same for the others. As Ginny sat, running her hand through Harry's hair in an effort to relax him, Sirius came in.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked once by Harry's bed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry mumbled drowsily, leaning into Ginny's touch as much as he could.

"You will be," Ginny agreed softly, seeing Harry was nearly asleep already. "Just rest now."

By the time she'd finished speaking, Harry was out, the occasional muscle spasm making him twitch. Ginny stayed with him a few minutes more, then, realizing it was nearing the time for their training class, she slowly withdrew her hand from Harry's hair and stood.

"I suppose I should be getting ready."

"Yeah. It's almost that time," Sirius said, equally as soft as Ginny had spoken. "I'll stay here with him until he wakes up again."

Not really wanting to leave but knowing she must, Ginny nodded. "Alright. I'll be back later."

Stepping outside of the Infirmary, Ginny found herself instantly engulfed in female arms. Automatically, her arms wrapped around her friends. To her utter dismay, tears began to build. She allowed herself to lean on them for only a minute before inhaling deeply and pulling away.

"Thanks for being here," she told them. "It's meant a lot."

"No need to thank us," Raven replied. "In actuality, we should be thanking you for still being our friend."

Ginny waved away her friend's words. "I wouldn't be a very nice person if I stopped being your friend over that. Don't worry about it. We're good."

The girls left to relax a bit more before they actually had to get around for school. Ginny walked with Chris out to their usual meeting spot with Ladon and his assistant. Sitting on the front steps, they quietly watched the sky as it lightened.

"I had no idea," Chris said in the silence. "I had no idea how bad it really was. I mean, you hear about it, you know? Actually seeing the aftereffects, though, really makes you realize just how … clinical … the description is. You read or hear about it, but it doesn't click in your head until you see the actual toll that it takes on a person." Chris shook his head in wonder. "I'm in awe of you both, his strength for having dealt with this for so long, and yours for being strong enough, emotionally, to support him."

Ginny shrugged, a bit uncomfortable with the admiration. "When it's someone you love, you do whatever it takes to help them." Two people popped into existence under one of the large trees. "There they are. Come on. Time to get busy."

0000 Tues, Sept 20

After Arithmancy, Ginny's first stop was to check on Harry, and was pleased with what she found. He was sitting at a table near his bed, reading a text and writing something. Taking notes, perhaps? While still a bit pale, he did have more color than the last time she'd seen him.

Stepping up to him, she observed, "You're looking better."

Harry looked up and smiled. "I'm feeling better than I was. Still tired and sore, obviously, but not as tired as I was. I feel like I can make it through the rest of the day now."

"That's good. What are you working on?"

"Oh! Mr. Hadley brought this by before class this morning, said I needed to read about the Moly plant and give a summary of the information. It can be used to guard against Dark enchantments. I guess they were studying this in class."

Ginny studied the picture in the book. "It's kind of pretty with its pure white flower petals and dark green, striped leaves."

Harry studied the photo as if trying to see it from her point of view. "I suppose. I've certainly seen less pretty plants." He scratched out a few more words onto his parchment. "Have you heard from Hermione? Since yesterday was her birthday, I was curious as to whether Hedwig had made it there with Hermione's gift yet."

"No, I haven't." Ginny calculated the time difference. "It should be just after five o'clock. We might be able to catch her before dinner. If you're finished, that is."

"Give me a couple more minutes and I should be done."

"Okay. While you're finishing up, I'll go put my bag away and get the mirror."

Harry nodded absently as he began to write again. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek, then went to exchange her school stuff for the mirror. By the time she'd returned, Harry was standing just outside the door to the Infirmary.

"Let me get this back to Mr. Hadley, then we'll eat before calling Hermione. I'm starved. I slept right through breakfast. Mrs. Cole gave me an apple an hour ago, but it just didn't go very far."

His statement was punctuated by the growling of his stomach, causing Ginny to giggle. "Come on, then. Let's get some food in there before it decides to try to eat itself. You can give your work to Mr. Hadley afterwards."

The couple met up with Chris at lunch. Harry's guess about what was studied in Herbology proved correct as Chris proceeded to fill Harry in on the lecture. Nothing was said about Harry's early morning return to the school, and for that, Ginny was thankful. She knew Harry wouldn't have wanted to discuss it. Chris was definitely a good friend.

Once they were full, Harry and Ginny left the dining room. Mr. Hadley often took meals in his greenhouse, which flabbergasted Ginny. She couldn't understand how anyone could stand to be in that heat so much. Sure enough, that's where she and Harry found the odd Herbology teacher. Harry handed in his assignment, then the two of them sat in the cooled gazebo and contacted their friend. They waited a few minutes before Hermione responded.

"Harry! Ginny! Thank you for the present! It was so fascinating to see all the different country flags. I knew only a few of them. I can't believe the country's main Ministry offices are at the United Nations building, though I suppose that makes a lot of sense. I would love to see the building someday, with all those flags. It stands for such a wonderful concept. Maybe one day there will be something similar in the Wizarding world."

Ginny chuckled. "And I wouldn't be surprised to see you involved in it."

"As soon as I saw that drawstring bag and that sticker book, Hermione, I instantly thought of you. I knew you'd like the challenge of identifying the various countries' flags and putting them on the page they belonged. The fact that each page had information on when that country joined the United Nations and some other general stuff was just a bonus."

"Well, thank you." Hermione studied Harry a moment. "You look okay. Not great, but okay. How did last night go?"

"It was as it always is. Our Headmistress' husband is a lycan, too, and he took me and one other boy out to a wildlife refuge. That was certainly different, listening to the waterfowl splashing around in the water, the alligators calling out in their guttural voices, all the little creatures rustling around. I did come across a snake or two while we explored our area. I had wished I could have talked to them."

"Lycan, Harry? Is that the term they use?"

"It is here, at any rate. I like it. When you hear that term, you think of a person. When you hear the term 'werewolf', you tend to think of the vicious creature."

"That's true, sadly. It sounds like things are working out for you there. I'm so glad."

Ginny nodded with a smile. "It really is. I have some really great dorm mates, and Harry has a really good friend who volunteered to train with us."

Harry and Ginny alternately explained their exercise/training sessions. Hermione, in Ginny's opinion, seemed a bit envious, but not so much that she was nasty about it. They talked about what was happening at Hogwarts, which wasn't much, other than Draco being his normal boorish self. They chatted a bit longer before Hermione left for dinner.

"Ginny, when we came back this morning, you said something to me in another language. What did you say?"

Ginny blushed a little. She hadn't been certain he'd even heard her. "It's French. Amelie taught me a few phrases. _Mon loup_ means 'my wolf'."

Harry stared at her, his eyes now a beautiful emerald green. Slowly, a beaming smile spread across his face. "I like it. What else did she teach you?"

Ginny grinned mischievously. "That's for me to know and for you to figure out."

"Oh, come on! Just give me a couple of them. At least give me one I can call you."

Succumbing to the pleading, puppy dog look he had, Ginny relented. "Okay, well, there's _mon amour_ , _mon ange_ , _mon tr_ _é_ _sor_ , _mon coeur_. That's all I'll tell you. Any others and you'll have to ask Amelie yourself."

Harry sat silently, likely mulling over the phrases. She wondered how long it would take him to figure out their meanings. He was smart; it likely wouldn't take him long. When he looked back up at her, he seemed a bit smug.

"Well, I'm only guessing here, but I think _mon coeur_ means 'my heart', if _chro_ _í_ is anything to go by since it means 'heart' in Irish. _Tr_ _é_ _sor_ sounds like treasure, so I'm guessing _mon tr_ _é_ _sor_ means 'my treasure.' Not too sure about the other two."

"That's pretty good, Harry. You'd be right with both of them. You can work the others out on your own." Ginny felt like giggling when he sighed so dramatically. "Come on. It's probably getting close to one o'clock. I still have to get my Transfiguration and Potions supplies and you need your Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic books."

Harry yawned, nodding. "Yeah, you're right."

Ginny looked at him in concern. "Are you sure you're up to going to class? I'm sure it'd be okay if you needed to sleep more."

"If I slept any more today, I won't sleep tonight. Don't worry, _mon coeur_ , I'll be fine."

Ginny couldn't have stopped from smiling if she'd wanted to, which she didn't. Feeling playful she said, " _T_ _á_ _gr_ _á_ _agam duit, mon loup_."

Harry made an appreciative sound. "Mixed the languages. Very nice. I love you, too."

When they returned to the main building, they saw that it was, indeed, almost time for class. As they passed Amelie, Ginny noticed her friend slipping a piece of parchment into Harry's hand. She sent a questioning look toward the girl and received a smile and wink in return. Ginny hoped it wasn't some apology note or something. Harry didn't need to know anything about that conversation. As she thought about it while gathering the appropriate books, she didn't think Amelie's smile and wink meant an apology. Ginny suddenly chuckled. Maybe Harry wasn't going to have to work very hard to discover the meanings of the other phrases after all.


	14. Don't Be Afraid

**_Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid._ _  
_ _―_ _Frederick Buechner_ _,_ _Beyond Words: Daily Readings in the ABC's of Faith_**

The first Saturday of October had been designated as the first Magazine Run, the outing third-years and up earned by keeping their grades to passing level, similar to the Hogsmeade Weekends. It had rained the last couple of days, but today, the sun shone brightly. Unfortunately, that meant the humidity was higher, the air stickier. Harry sat in the commons room, waiting for Ginny, and thought about their training session that day. It hadn't gone well, not for him. He still had nightmares about the strange woman leading him away from Ginny. He knew Ginny was growing concerned as he was beginning to actually look as if he wasn't getting much sleep. In addition, that desire to do more with Ginny was still present, building to near uncontrollable levels like magic right before casting a spell and falling away again as the spell is released. The times when it was bad, Harry had split from Ginny to study in the library. It was the only way to save his sanity, though he knew it hurt her feelings. Needless to say, he'd been very much distracted and it cost him.

Sirius had introduced them to their newest instructor, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and long, curly blonde hair by the name of Cassiopeia Galatea, though she insisted they call her Cassi. She, apparently, was fascinated with ancient spells, and that's what they were now learning. They'd just begun working on one that confused the target, much like a Befuddlement Draught. Also, they'd practiced a spell that made the target's eyes swell, and one that messed with a person's balance. Harry, unable to keep his eyes from wandering to Ginny, had no luck in getting any the spells to work, while Chris and Ginny managed to some degree. The incantations hadn't been complicated – though a bit longer than modern ones – and the wand motions hadn't been convoluted, he'd simply been unable to focus enough to succeed.

Sighing to himself, Harry dropped his head to the back of the sofa. He really needed to get a grip on himself. Just because he loved smelling her special flowery fragrance, just because he felt he could drown in her golden brown eyes, or loved how soft her skin was to the touch … Harry let out a little growl of frustration, one his inner demon echoed, and ran his hands through his hair, making it stand up more than it already was. Rubbing his eyes, he suppressed a yawn. He'd been looking forward to returning to Magazine Street, with all its shops and that one restaurant he'd noticed when Ginny's parents had visited, but now he worried he wouldn't last long enough.

"Hey, kiddo, are you okay? You don't look so good. Feeling ill?"

Harry dropped his hand from his face, blinking a bit before he could focus on his godfather. "I'm fine. I've been looking forward to this day, and I know Ginny has been, too."

Sirius' scrutinizing gaze stayed on Harry, making Harry want to squirm, but he must have passed whatever test Sirius had been issuing, for Sirius nodded once and said nothing else about Harry's appearance.

"So, what are your plans for today? Anything in particular?"

Harry shrugged. "Just wandering the shops, really. Maybe have lunch at that restaurant, er, Wolf Haven, I think it was called." Harry looked around him as others gathered in preparation to leave. "I have to say I'm a bit surprised they visit Muggle shops. I would have thought they'd go by Floo or by Portkey to Magic, Inc."

"Here, I've discovered, a class is required for all incoming pureblood first years that teaches about Muggles. It's very basic stuff like attire, housing, money, things like that. A more in-depth class is offered to third years and above where they often go on field trips to enjoy Muggle entertainment, like to the cinema and malls, study their literature, things of that nature."

"Oh. How do you know all this?"

Sirius' expression turned to one of exaggerated hurt, his hands over his heart. "Do you think I wouldn't research the school thoroughly before choosing it? That hurts, Harry."

Harry laughed despite his fatigue. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. So, what are _you_ doing today?"

"I'm chaperoning. I'll be one of the staff members wandering around, making sure no one goes out of bounds or gets themselves into trouble with the Muggles."

Harry adopted a shocked expression. "You mean, they actually trust you to be responsible? Dad and Uncle Remus would be horrified."

"Watch it, kiddo. I gave my permission for you to go. I could easily take it back."

Harry's brows rose in challenge. "And deny Ginny the opportunity to go?"

"She could go with her friends." Sirius seemed to give it some thought. "Though you're probably right. She likely wouldn't go without you. Well, bugger! I guess I can't do that. I certainly don't want to get on that witch's bad side."

Harry grinned cheekily. "Good thinking."

Sirius was silent a moment, then hesitantly asked, "You, er, you two are okay, right? I've noticed that you've been in a bit of a mood at times, and how you've taken to occasionally studying away from her."

Harry didn't like being asked that, but figured it was only a matter of time before someone had said something. Doing his best to play it off, Harry said, "Yeah, we're fine. Sometimes it's good to have some time apart, you know? It's good for us." Sirius looked as if he didn't believe him, so Harry rushed on with a question of his own. "So, what exactly do you do around here?"

Sirius shrugged. "A little of this, a little of that. Patrol the grounds to make sure kids aren't getting up to more than they should. Generally, I help out wherever I'm needed. That's _after_ arranging for the early morning training classes, of course."

"Of course," Harry agreed, glad to be off the subject of his 'issues'.

At that moment, Ginny chose to enter the commons area wearing a white circle skirt that ended a couple of inches above her knees, a navy blue tank-style top with wide, lacy, zigzag-edged shoulder straps, navy blue flat-soled shoes, and a white bag worn across her body. Her hair had been pulled to one side and plaited somewhat loosely from the top of her head all the way down so that the plait hung over one shoulder. A few loose tendrils framed her face. Her lips were glossy. She smiled when she saw him. An answering smile graced his features.

"What are you …?" Sirius asked, turning around. He whistled. "Never mind. I see very well what you're smiling at. Very nice, Stuff. You sure you don't want to ditch him," Sirius motioned towards Harry, "and keep me company?"

Harry nearly snarled at the thought. His inner demon actually did. Jumping to his feet, Harry insinuated himself between Ginny and Sirius, taking her hand. "Sod off, Sirius," he retorted with only a bit of heat. Harry felt plain in his khaki shorts, red shirt, and trainers compared to Ginny, and said as much.

Ginny threw Sirius an aggravated look at the use of the shortened nickname as she often did, before turning her attention to Harry. "You look nice, Harry," Ginny assured him.

Sirius chuckled at Harry's show of possessiveness. "Have fun, you two. If you have any problems, just find a staff member or go to Alex's shop. You remember which one that is?"

"Yes, we do. See you later."

Harry led Ginny to the crowd to wait their turn to go out the front door. He suddenly felt nervous about the day. Today was their first date; every other time they'd been together had been at Hogwarts, the Burrow, or Sirius had been with them.

"Do you have anything in particular you want to do?" he asked, seizing on the topic that popped into his head.

"Not really, no. I'd like to look around for a bit." Ginny paused, and when Harry looked over at her, he found her studying him rather closely. "You look tired. Are you sure you're okay?"

Harry forced a smile on his face. "I'll be fine, Ginny. A little fresh air, some good company, that's all I need."

"Alright, but tell me if you need to come back. It won't hurt my feelings or anything. Promise me."

Harry chuckled lightly. "I promise, okay? Now, come on. It's time to go."

0000

The couple visited lots of different shops, from clothing shops to jewelry shops and shops selling souvenir trinkets. At noon, the two stopped in at Wolf Harbor, the restaurant that held such fascination for him the last time they'd walked a bit of Magazine Street with Ginny's parents. The interior exuded a homey air with comfortable chairs and heavy wooden tables. The center of the floor space was taken by several artfully arranged buffet tables.

"Well, hello there."

Harry turned to his right to see another boy about his age with dark brown hair and light blue eyes, eyes that were currently spending more time looking Ginny over than Harry thought he should. The leering and the smarmy voice had him grinding his teeth. Then, the boy walked around them, studying them, though Harry couldn't figure out why. Harry almost shoved the boy away when he leaned close to Ginny. He could practically feel her discomfort.

"Is there something that you want?" Harry bit out, desperately trying to hold back his temper.

Still looking over Ginny as if she were a tasty morsel and he was starving, the boy said to her, "You've been marked, but not claimed." He leaned close to her again, sniffing. "You're not one of us."

Having had enough of this boy's rude behavior, Harry gave him a little shove. "That's enough."

"No, I don't think it is."

"What did you mean by 'one of us'?" Ginny asked.

Harry shot her an incredulous look. He couldn't believe she wanted to make small talk with the git. "It doesn't matter. We'll just go."

Harry turned back toward the door, intending to lead Ginny back out of the building when the boy's next words stopped him. "Never would have pegged you to be a coward. Come here, _ch_ _é_ _rie_. Ditch the coward. I can treat you better than he ever could."

The boy reached out a hand and wrapped his fingers around Ginny's arm to pull her away from Harry. Ginny began to twist her arm to pry it out of the boy's grasp as she'd been taught, but it was Harry's steely grip on the offending limb that had the boy dropping Ginny's arm.

Stepping into the boy's personal space, Harry defiantly stared into the boy's eyes, his own hard as jade. "Don't. Touch her. Again."

"Ah, there it is," the boy replied mockingly. "There's that lycan attitude I was expecting." He rubbed his arm where Harry's hand had been. "Nice grip. Let me guess. You were gifted with strength. Lucky you. I received a stronger sense of smell. That's how I knew you were one of us. I could smell it on you. Her, not so much, but I know lycan scratches when I see them."

Harry's anger completely faded, leaving behind utter confusion. "What? Were you … testing … us?"

Cheerily, the boy motioned for Harry and Ginny to follow him. "Come on, I'll take you to the back part of the dining room. The meat there will be more to your liking, though you're welcome to your choice from any of our buffet tables."

Harry, still wary and confused, exchanged glances with Ginny, who shrugged as they walked along. As they reached the section the boy had mentioned, Harry felt a subtle tingling all over. It was only there for a moment, and he could only guess that they'd passed through some sort of ward. The boy stopped at a table and set down linen-wrapped flatware.

"This is our Wizarding section. Feel free to discuss anything to do with magic here. That tingling you felt as we came back here was a ward, like a privacy charm. The regular public won't hear anything discussed on this side of the ward. By the way, my name is Ashton. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know."

"Why aren't you in school?" Realizing how rude that sounded, Harry blushed. "Sorry. I didn't mean that how it sounded. It's just that you don't look older than me."

Ashton shrugged his shoulders, a sheepish grin on his face. "I'm likely not. I have tutors. I went to school once, but I didn't do well with the restrictions and such. It just wasn't for me." He motioned for them to sit.

Once they'd settled, it was Ginny who asked the next question. "Why were you being such a git before? You actually seem really nice."

Ashton sat across from them. "Yeah, about that. I'm really sorry. Sometimes, my beastly side gets the better of me, especially when a pretty, unclaimed girl walks in." Harry scowled at that, but Ashton ignored it. "Add to that the fact that I could smell a rival and … anyway, I apologize for that, though I imagine you're probably used to that kind of behavior by now, right?"

"Unclaimed?" Ginny asked, perplexed. "You said that before. I _am_ claimed, though. Harry's ring proves it." She held up her hand to show the Claddagh ring she wore. "Harry and I are together, and will be forever."

"You don't understand. What I meant was -"

Fearing he knew where this conversation was heading, Harry faked a cough, pointedly staring at the other boy. The boy's gaze jumped between them a few times, then his expression turned to one of understanding. He even smirked at Harry.

"You haven't told her. Dude, you're living dangerously, don't you think?"

"Told me what?" Ginny demanded, her eyes jumping from Ashton to Harry and back again.

"Nothing," Harry quickly interjected. Still glaring at Ashton, Harry said, "It's not an issue."

"Right," Ashton said, drawing out the word, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You were just giving me death glares earlier for no apparent reason." He stood and pushed his chair in. "Keep telling yourself that and see how far you get. It's going to drive you crazy until you acknowledge it and do something about it. Anyway, enjoy your lunch."

Harry watched the boy walk away, silently calling him names for daring to bring up something so personal, especially in front of the one person he wanted to remain clueless.

"Harry, what was he talking about? And don't tell me 'nothing' because it's obviously something."

"It's just something personal, okay? Something I really don't want to talk about. You have things you don't talk about with me. This is something I don't want to talk about with you."

Ginny's bright brown eyes narrowed as she thought about what he'd said, and Harry was afraid he'd angered her. Finally, she gave a little nod, and he breathed easier

"Alright. I suppose I can accept that. There _are_ some personal things I don't share with you. Promise me, though, that you'll talk about it with _someone_ , whatever it is."

"I had already thought about doing that. Come on, I'm hungry." Harry immediately stood and waited to see what Ginny would do.

Ginny giggled. "Well, let's not keep you suffering. Something smells really good."

Harry grinned, knowing full well that that was Ginny's way of admitting how hungry she was without coming right out and saying it. He'd learned not to get in the way of a Weasley and food, so he let her lead the way.

0000

After visiting more shops, and sampling some sweets along the way, Harry had begun to yawn and Ginny had insisted they return to the school. Upon walking in the front door, Mrs. Cole beckoned for Harry to follow her into the Infirmary. Shrugging to Ginny, he followed the school's nurse. They walked into her office, Miss Cole picking up a small vial of a light golden liquid as she turned to face them. Two more of different colors remained on the desk.

"As you know, Harry, I've been working on a way to desensitize you to Ginny's perfume, and I think I may have come up with something that will work. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I had to identify every element in that perfume before I could go about concocting something that isolated each scent." She pulled the cork from the vial. "I need you to try smelling this."

A little embarrassed, Harry hesitated a moment before taking the vial and sniffing it. The same floral scent he remembered from the perfume reached his nostrils. After holding his breath a moment for some sort of reaction, he let it out again. Nothing. Harry handed the vial back to Mrs. Cole.

"I'm fine with that."

Mrs. Cole then gave him another one to try. Harry smelled the same citrus scent as before, one he still couldn't identify. Again, he waited for his nose to protest. It didn't. Handing it back he shook his head.

"Still fine."

"Alright then, it must be this one." Mrs. Cole handed him the remaining vial.

One sniff and Harry couldn't hand it back fast enough. It took five sneezes to clear his nose of the woody, bothersome scent. "That one," he said in a watery voice, sniffling. "What is it?"

"It's pine. Well, now we know the culprit, I can start working on weakening your reaction to it. We'll start with a faint scent and work our way up to full strength."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ginny fretted. "I never should have bought it. It's just … the scent reminded me of Hogwarts … and of you."

"It's okay, Ginny, don't worry." Sniffling still, Harry nodded to Mrs. Cole. "Sounds fine with me." Ginny handed him a tissue, which he accepted gratefully. "There were pine trees all around Hogwarts. Why didn't I react to them?"

"Most likely because the scent isn't concentrated like it is in a perfume." Mrs. Cole paused a moment, looking him over. "Harry, you're looking a bit tired. Are you sleeping okay?"

Harry felt like squirming, but he forced himself to be still. "Yeah, sure. I've just had a lot going on, is all."

She scrutinized him a bit longer before giving a single nod of her head. "Alright, but if you need something to help you sleep, come see me."

Anxious to get out of the conversation, Harry nodded. "Yeah, sure. We'll see you later."

Harry quickly took Ginny's hand and practically dragged her out the door.

They settled in the commons area on one of the sofas. Almost immediately, Harry left to retrieve the book he'd received on his family history. He hadn't had a lot of time to look through it before now. With Ginny on one end of the couch, turned sideways, her knees bent, and reading a book of her own, Harry sat on the other end, mirroring her position, their feet touching. Chris was playing a game of pool with Lew.

A barn owl flew in and landed on the back of the sofa next to Harry, who looked up at the owl in confusion, then at Ginny. Shrugging, he took the note attached to the owl's leg. It flew away as soon as its burden was removed. Harry didn't recognize the writing, but shrugged again. He wouldn't know what it said or whom it was from if he didn't open it.

As he read, his stomach clenched, his breath hitched, and he shivered. He couldn't believe what he was reading. Could it be true? How? His blood roared in his ears as he contemplated the validity of the message. From far away, he heard Ginny's worried voice.

"Harry? Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry shivered again, feeling icy cold. "I … I ..." He couldn't force the words from his lips.

Ginny snatched the parchment from his nerveless fingers, read the note and gasped in horror. "Mum! Bill! Charlie! They've been taken! What are we going to do?"

"We're going to do exactly as it says," Harry said with cold determination, having recovered from his initial shock. "We're going to find a way to get me into the Triwizard Tournament."

"Harry, no. You can't. Neither Mum nor Bill would want that. Charlie, neither. You heard Hermione. That Tournament is dangerous."

"Ginny, I'm not willing to risk their lives. You read it. They'll be released, one by one, as the Tournament goes on, as long as I compete."

"We don't even know if this is true. Let's talk to Sirius first. Then, we can decide what to do."

"You were all ready to believe it was true a second ago."

"That was before you decided to follow the ultimatum."

Harry stood. "Come on. Let's go show this to Sirius."

0000

Harry and Ginny sat in chairs across from Miss Lena, who sat at her desk, studying the note Harry had received. Sirius paced behind the teens.

"And you have no idea who sent this note?" Sirius asked Harry again.

"No, I have no idea," Harry said, a little impatiently. "I don't recognize the handwriting. The owl was an ordinary barn owl."

"Are you certain, Harry? Think carefully."

Miss Lena jumped into the conversation before Harry could respond. Perhaps she could see how irritated he was getting at the repeated questioning. "Before we start to panic, let's find out if this is indeed true. There's a bare minimum of workers at the Ministry on the weekends, so I'm not sure if there's anyone there who can help with this, but it's worth a try."

"Alright," Sirius said, stopping his pacing. "This is what I'm going to do. I'll go to the Ministry and see if I can't get an International Portkey. I'll talk to Ginny's dad, see if this is even true. If I can't get a Portkey, then I'll be taking an aeroplane and flying back to London. Where's the nearest international airport?"

"There's one in Kenner, which is about a twenty to thirty minute drive west of here."

"Alright, great. I'm going to go pack a bag, then head over to the Ministry. Don't worry, Ginny. We'll get it all figured out." With that, Sirius practically ran out the door.

"But if it's true," Ginny went on, directing her word to Miss Lena, "then, why didn't Dad tell me? I mean, whoever wrote that didn't do so until after they had my mum and brothers, and the note had to have taken a week to get here. I've heard nothing! Did he not think I'd want to know?"

Harry took Ginny's hand in his. "He probably felt it better that you didn't, so that you could concentrate on your studies."

This, apparently, was the wrong thing to say because Ginny snatched her hand from his and glared at him. "Don't patronize me, Harry."

Shocked, Harry shook his head. "I wasn't trying to."

"Yes, you were," Ginny snapped back, "with that 'don't worry your pretty little head about it' tone of voice. I hate that tone of voice. I've heard it often enough that I know it when I hear it. I certainly don't need to hear it from you."

Harry had always loved seeing Ginny with her temper up. Her eyes glittered menacingly, her cheeks flushed to nearly drown out her freckles, and her lips thinned to almost nonexistence, but there was just something so … alive … about how she looked that he really found attractive. The instant that thought formed in his head, the wolf inside him sat up and took notice. The need to take Ginny off to some place private slammed into him full force, igniting his own temper and frustration at its ill-timed reappearance.

"Well, excuse me for at least trying to make you feel better! If I hadn't, you would have yelled at me for that!"

"Okay, now," Miss Lena jumped into the argument, "that's enough."

Ginny, though, ignored her. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't _want_ to feel better? Of course it didn't! Maybe I just want to be heard, to have my feelings validated!"

"I don't even know what that means! What the bloody hell does that even mean?"

Ginny jumped to her feet, her arms crossed over her chest. "It means that my feelings are _mine_ , and that I'm entitled to them. I don't need you to try to make it all better!"

"Harry, Ginny, that's enough." Miss Lena's forceful voice finally reached them.

Harry stood. He had to get out of that office or he'd say or do something he'd highly regret. "Fine. Let me know what Sirius finds out."

Completely ignoring Ginny, Harry hastened to the door, yanked it open, and left.

0000

Upset at what had just happened, Ginny burst into tears. She felt a pair of arms slide around her and heard the soft, crooning voice that belonged to her Headmistress. It only made Ginny cry harder. A few minutes went by before Ginny pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she said, sniffling. "I didn't mean for that to happen." She muttered under her breath, "Stupid hormones."

"Of course you didn't," Miss Lena said, soothingly, obviously ignoring Ginny's last utterance. She helped Ginny back into her chair before retaking her own. She handed over a box of tissues. "Care to talk?"

Ginny blew her nose and wiped her eyes. "I'm just worried. Not just about my family, but about Harry, too. He looks like he hasn't slept soundly in some time, he often doesn't want to study with me anymore, hasn't really initiated a kiss like he used to. In fact, there's been times when he's pulled away when I try to. Now, I find out he's hiding something from me, something that I should know. At least, according to the boy at Wolf Harbor, I should know it."

"Ah, so you've been there, have you? Ashton's parents, aunts, and uncles own the place. He isn't the only lycan over there. They established the place to be just as the name specifies: a safe place for anyone with the affliction. They just decided to branch out, so to speak, and also cater to everyone else." Miss Lena folded her hands onto her desk and leaned on her elbows. "Ashton spoke out of turn. What he referred to is something that is highly personal, and I'm afraid it's something that Harry will have to tell you."

"But Ashton said it would make Harry crazy until he acknowledged it and did something about it. That can't be good, whatever it is."

"It sounds that way, doesn't it? It's still something that Harry will need to tell you. If it's even an issue. It may not be."

"Ashton sure made it sound as if it was."

"I'm sure he probably did, and as I said, he spoke out of turn." Miss Lena paused a moment, then asked, "How are _you_ doing? You've talked about Harry, what of yourself? How are you adjusting?"

Ginny shrugged, unable to look her Headmistress in the eye. "Okay, I suppose."

"You suppose? That doesn't sound very certain. Talk to me. What's on your mind?"

After a moment's hesitation, Ginny did talk. She assured Miss Lena that the school was great and how much she appreciated everyone's friendliness, but Ginny also admitted to missing Hogwarts, the environment, the food, and the staff – well, most of the staff. Unloading that felt so good that Ginny went on before Miss Lena could respond, mentioning her questions regarding the aging process of someone scarred by a lycan.

"Is it even possible?" Ginny asked. "I mean, sometimes, the feeling is so incredibly strong. I'm fairly certain other girls my age don't feel this, not like this, anyway. What do you think?"

"I think anything is possible. Harry marked you, and he _is_ your match. That could account for it."

"But you're not certain?"

Ginny caught a slight hesitation before Miss Lena replied. "No, I'm not certain. Every circumstance is different, especially when lycanthropy and its effects are involved. Have you discussed this with Harry?"

Ginny shrugged, a bit self-conscious. "Some. Once. He's convinced that what we feel for each other is wrong, that we're too young to be feeling the way we do. He seems quite hung up on that, actually, and feeling guilty for it all, saying it's not normal."

"Well, you _aren't_ normal, are you?" Miss Lena asked with a raised brow. "Neither of you is what's considered normal. You can't live your lives based on someone else's ideals. You have to live _your_ lives, live them the way that's right for _you_. Am I advocating that you do something you're not ready for? Of course not. However, you do have to stop comparing yourselves to others, and what's right for them isn't necessarily what's right for you."

Ginny sighed in mild frustration. "I've been trying to tell Harry that, but he just doesn't listen."

Miss Lena smiled, giving one of Ginny's hands a gentle squeeze. "You'll just have to keep telling him until you get it through to him." She paused a moment before patting Ginny's hand sympathetically. "It's not easy when the ones we love can be stubborn idiots, is it?

That brought a laugh out of Ginny. "No. it isn't, but they're worth it."

"They certainly are. For now, give Harry a bit of time. He's struggling right now with things, but he'll find his way back to you."

Ginny nodded resolutely. Knowing she'd been dismissed, she stood and opened the door to Miss Lena's office and spied Sirius heading her way. "How did it go?" she asked once he'd reached them.

Sirius shook his head. "Couldn't get a Portkey so I'll have to fly out tonight. I'll probably stay for a few days in the hopes that I can help with the search for your mum and brothers." Sirius looked around the commons area. "Have you seen Harry? I wanted to let him know what was happening."

Feeling awkward, Ginny shook her head, unable to meet the man's eyes. "Er, no, he, er, left and I stayed to chat with Miss Lena."

"Why do I get the feeling there's more to it than that?"

Miss Lena spoke before Ginny could respond. "Ginny, go on, now, child. Sirius and I will have a quick chat before he goes."

All too happy to get away from Harry's godfather, Ginny scurried through the doorway and hurried off to find Amelie and Raven. She hoped Raven could play with her hair again and Amelie could help her with some make up. That was something Ginny had thought about for the last couple of weeks. Having watched the two girls every morning go through their morning rituals, Ginny had recently become interested in joining, but had been too shy to speak up.

Gathering her Gryffindor courage, she found the girls playing a card game at one of the tables in the commons area and approached them. After hesitantly asking her questions, Ginny was taken aback by the enthusiasm that met her. Both girls returned the cards to their box, grabbed Ginny, and marched her straight to their room, chattering excitedly, which built Ginny up, too. She joined in their conversation, explaining the girls' limits, but looked forward to seeing what her friends could do.

0000

Two days later, leaning against a massive live oak tree, Harry sat, brooding about how things had become so out of control. Those weird nightmares continuously tormented him, now including Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie, before morphing to himself and Ginny and that horrific woman with the odd, Pied Piper act. His need for Ginny still ran hot and cold, as unpredictable as ever. His studies were beginning to suffer because he couldn't concentrate. He found himself worrying constantly over how to get himself into the Triwizard Tournament to save Ginny's mum and brothers. The stress was getting to him; he was beginning to crack.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, he propped his elbows on them, and dropped his head into his hands. What was he going to do? He hadn't heard from Sirius, but then, it hadn't really been long enough for anything to have happened, one way or another. His head pounded from lack of sleep and Harry dug his thumbs into his temples, hoping to alleviate the pain. Then, he rubbed at his gritty, tired eyes, groaning softly. If something didn't give soon, Harry was afraid _he_ would be the one who did – by losing his sanity.

Someone walked in his direction, but Harry couldn't muster enough energy to care. The humid warmth of the air made him drowsy, but he was afraid to sleep. Harry didn't bother looking up until the person knelt beside him. Looking over, he was a bit surprised to see Ginny watching him, concern for him practically radiating from her. He tried to offer her a smile, but failed miserably.

"You look terrible, Harry. Talk to me. What's going on in that stubborn brain of yours? You hang out with me one moment, and disappear the next. You rarely kiss me anymore. I barely can get you to even hold my hand. You're not sleeping very well, obviously. What's going on? I need you to talk to me."

Heaving a great sigh, Harry spilled it all – even the embarrassing parts. Once he finished, he looked away from her, afraid to see her reaction to the secrets he'd kept from her.

"Oh, Harry. I wish you'd told me this sooner." Harry winced at the sadness in her voice, but she continued. "First things first, though. You need to get some sleep."

Ginny stood and held out her hand. Harry just looked at her. "Ginny, I can't. That's the problem. Those nightmares are terrifying. I can't ask for a Dreamless Sleep Potion because those can't be taken every night."

"I know that, Harry," Ginny reassured Harry gently. "We're going to talk to Miss Lena. I'm sure she'll know what to do."

Wearily, Harry took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. He swayed a moment, prompting Ginny to slide her arm around his waist. Once he was steady again, he tried to reach for his book bag, but Ginny grabbed it instead, giving him a look that dared him to complain. He didn't.

"What about classes this afternoon? It has to be getting close to one o'clock by now. You shouldn't miss them, especially Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Don't worry about them." Ginny began leading Harry back towards the main school building. "I talked to Miss Lena. She said we could miss classes this afternoon if it meant we settled things between us. She said we were more important right now."

"Oh." After a few steps, Harry spoke again. "I'm not telling her the personal stuff."

"Yes, you are, Harry. She needs to know. Trust me, she'll understand. She can help. She certainly helped me."

Harry looked at Ginny, in shock. "You talked to her? About us?"

"I talked to her about _me_ , yes. What she said made me feel a lot better."

Harry fell silent, thinking about Ginny's advice, as they made their way into the main building and to Miss Lena's office. Harry collapsed into one of the chairs, suddenly embarrassed to be there. Miss Lena quietly waved her wand, gently closing the door. A few wand flicks later, and she set it back onto her desk.

"Now, we won't be disturbed or overheard. What's on your mind?"

With some persistent prodding from Ginny, Harry spilled his secrets again. "I'm so tired. I don't know what to do."

"Harry, you should have come to me in the beginning," Miss Lena gently chided. "We could have been working on a way to help you. I can't help if you don't let me know something's wrong."

Miss Lena stood, walked to her fireplace, threw in a bit of Floo powder, and stuck her head in the green flames. Several moments passed before she pulled back and returned to her desk. "I have asked Miss Ward and Mr. Eresse, our Divination teacher, to join us. I'm sure, between the three of us, we can figure out a way to help you get the sleep you need. As for the other, we'll talk more about that later."

Minutes later, the two teachers walked into Miss Lena's office. Miss Ward's gaze landed on Harry, then moved to Miss Lena. "What's going on?"

"I've asked you both here to help solve an urgent problem. Harry has informed me that he's been visited in his dreams by Marinette."

"What?" Miss Ward asked, her shocked gaze darting between the Headmistress and Harry. "There's wards placed to prevent her from calling to any lycan here."

"Who's Marinette?" Ginny asked.

Miss Lena explained. "She's a spirit that likes to inhabit this area. In one form, she can be cruel but helpful. She's considered to be a protector to lycans. Many people believe she could deliver her followers from bondage, though the road to freedom could be wrought with loss. In her less than pleasant form, she's pure evil, possessing lycans for her own pleasure, influencing them, and controlling them."

"That's what she kept saying," Harry murmured. "She said she had power over me, and she did. I had absolutely no control at all."

"But how could she get through the wards?" Miss Ward asked.

"She's drawn to lycans, obviously, but especially to lycans who are very strong magically, or those who are strong in character. They present a challenge, one she can't seem to resist. I'm sorry, Harry. If I had known, I would have protected you better."

"It's not your fault. I don't really see myself as that strong, though."

Miss Lena kindly smiled at Harry. "You must be for her to break through the protective wards." To Miss Ward, she asked, "Harry isn't able to sleep. How can we help him?"

"I could strengthen the wards around the school, but there's no guarantee that will work."

Mr. Eresse looked thoughtful a moment, then suggested, "Would it be possible to put the wards on _him_?"

Miss Ward's eyes narrowed as she thought about it. "It very well could. Using a protective rune in such a way should give him a powerful protection." She turned to her companion. "Where would be the best place to put it?"

Now, it was Mr. Eresse's turn to consider the possibilities. "As we're dealing with dreams and the mind, or the third eye, I'd say the forehead." Harry gave the man a horrified look, which made the man chuckle. "Don't worry, Harry. I think I know of another place that will work just as well." He stepped over to Harry and motioned for him to stand. Tilting Harry's head back a little to expose his neck, the Divination teacher said, "I think the side of the throat would do nicely." He went on to explain about the seven chakras in the body. "Now, our wonderful nurse doesn't believe in chakras, but I don't discount them."

"So, you think on the throat would work, then?" Harry asked, feeling a bit nervous about it all, though very hopeful that he could get some good rest really soon.

Mr. Eresse nodded. "I think it will do nicely. The rune wouldn't need to be big, either. An inch, maybe. If we're invoking the throat chakra, the ink we use would need to be blue. Even better if the ink was made of lapis, which coincidentally, I already have some of that ink."

"Excellent," Miss Lena said. "Go and get it. Miss Ward, are you comfortable applying the runes to Harry?"

"I'm quite familiar with runic wards, obviously, but I've never applied them to people. I'm not so sure I'm the best choice to do it."

Miss Lena nodded, not appearing to be surprised at Miss Ward's response. Again, she went to her fireplace. "Let me get Miss Raido here," she said those gathered. "With her specialty being runes, she'll know which to use and how to apply them."

Within a couple of minutes, the Ancient Runes teacher walked into Miss Lena's office. She didn't spare any time for niceties, just dove right into the subject at hand. "Okay, I think we should use two separate runes, 'Security' and 'Guardian', one on each side of Harry's throat. Double the protection. 'Security' wards off negative forces and protects from enemies, while 'Guardian' – also known as the Runic Cross – protects from evil in whatever form it takes." She requested a quill and parchment to draw out the runes. "This is what they look like, Harry. What do you think? Are you okay with this?"

"At this point, I'll do anything for some sleep."

Mr. Eresse returned with his ink and what Harry thought looked like a small diameter paintbrush. He handed the bottle of ink to Miss Raido. Without speaking, Miss Raido transfigured one of the cushy chairs into a bar stool, albeit a short one to put her at eye level with his neck.

"Okay, Harry," she began as she uncorked the ink and dipped in the brush, "I need you to be as still as possible. If you need to move, let me know. Now, tilt your head to the right a bit." Harry complied. He must have tilted his head too much for she reached out and corrected the angle. "I just need a little space. Tilt your head too far, and it stretches the skin, which will distort the rune, making it ineffective."

"Sorry."

"No need to be sorry. Okay, let's begin. We'll do 'Security' first."

She began chanting softly. Harry had no clue what she said and didn't really care as long as this worked. He flinched a bit at the touch of the brush, mostly because the ink was cold, but also because the bristles tickled. He looked down at the runes she had drawn on the parchment. 'Security' was made up of two perpendicular lines, with the horizontal line intersecting through the middle of the vertical one. Just before the four ends were C shapes, the bowls pointing outward. Moving inward from the C shapes, were short lines, one on each of the four main lines. Farther inward, slightly longer lines formed an open square around the midpoint.

The entire process didn't take as long as Harry had expected it to take. Miss Raido chanted a bit more, waved her wand, then declared that one finished. She switched sides and prepared to begin the other rune.

"Ready, Harry?"

"Yeah, sure. That didn't take very long at all."

"This one will take even less time as it's less complicated. Now, move your head a bit."

He did so, and she began. Harry studied the rune she'd called 'Guardian'. It had one long vertical line. A short, horizontal I-shape crossed the top of the line. A longer horizontal I-shape intersected the vertical line at the halfway point between the middle and top. Just before the bottom end of the vertical line, a horizontal line the same length of the I-shape at the top was drawn, with two short vertical lines starting at the tips and stopping when they were even with the bottom of the initial vertical line. That bottom shape sort of looked to Harry like a squarish C.

In short order, Miss Raido had finished chanting and waved her wand. "There you go. That should help. If for some reason it doesn't, be sure to let me know."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks for the help." Harry barely contained a yawn.

"Alright, to bed with you," Miss Lena declared. "You're excused from classes this afternoon. Ginny, why don't you help Harry over to the Infirmary? Mrs. Cole can keep an eye on him, just in case."

For a split second, Harry thought about protesting going to the Infirmary, but he was so tired, he wasn't entirely certain he'd make it to his room. Again, Ginny shouldered their book bags and helped him walk the short distance to the Infirmary. He was well aware of the looks some of the students were throwing their way, but he didn't have the energy to care.

Upon entering, Ginny helped him to the nearest bed. Mrs. Cole greeted them, and Ginny explained what had just been done. "Alright, then, Harry, under the covers. I'll let you sleep until dinner. We don't want your internal clock messed up any more than it likely already is. Ginny, you can stay until he's asleep, then you need to get to class."

"Yes, Mrs. Cole. Thanks."

Harry nearly moaned in pleasure at lying down on the soft mattress. He barely remembered to remove his glasses and set his wand on the bedside table. Curling up on his side, facing Ginny, he began to relax. Her hand gently running through his hair soothed him even more. In less than fifteen seconds, he was sleeping more soundly than he had in quite some time.

0000

"So, how is he doing?" Lena asked Amelia Cole softly, watching Harry sleep.

The school's nurse smiled and waved Lena into her office. Motioning for Lena to take one of the chairs, Amelia took the one opposite. "However unlikely it may be, I didn't want to chance waking him." She glanced towards Harry's bed again before saying, "Poor kid, he's completely exhausted. He hasn't moved from that position since he fell asleep two hours ago, not a single twitch. To be honest, I'm surprised he hasn't collapsed before now."

"That's good to hear. Our method has worked, then. I imagine he's been surviving on sheer force of will. It's quite impressive. After all, it's what allowed Marinette to get through the school's wards to begin with. I have a feeling that strength of character – his moral fiber, if you will – will serve him well in the future."

Amelia opened her mouth to say something, closed it, then opened it again. "It's not really my place to ask this, but I'm going to anyway. I've noticed there's been tension between Harry and Ginny. I've witnessed some fairly wild arguments. Is everything okay, there?"

Lena quickly reassured her friend. "Of course it's your place. Your concern is the students' health, and that includes their emotional health."

Lena's smile slipped a bit as she hesitated. Obviously, as someone working in the medical field, Amelia knew the challenges that often faced lycans, especially young ones. Lena simply didn't feel as if she should reveal too much, since she'd made a point to her students that when they talked, one on one, the conversations were private. Perhaps a carefully worded answer would suffice.

"Every relationship has its rocky patches. We see it all the time with these kids. Hormones," and Lena stressed that word a tiny bit, "run so rampant, they're bound to cause issues. As I said, Harry has an incredible moral fiber."

Lena waited to see if her friend would catch the secondary meaning, and was rewarded after a moment when Amelia's brows rose as she glanced sympathetically towards Harry's sleeping form again.

"Oh. I see. That certainly explains things. It also puts us all in an awkward position."

"It does," Lena agreed carefully, "but we'll handle it as we've always done. I think the main problem was exacerbated by Harry's lack of sleep – and by his not talking to Ginny."

"She didn't know?" Amelia asked, shocked. "Well, no wonder there was so much venom in their arguments. I mean, I figured she had a temper, red hair and all that, but now I understand. What a mess. Please tell me Ginny is aware of things now."

"Not to worry. She's been informed. Things should be less … verbal … now. Once Harry wakes, they'll sort things out. We just need to be in the background, until time for that next step."

"Hopefully, that next step doesn't come until much later. I've seen this happen in older kids, but not in anyone this age. I'm not so certain these two are equipped to handle it."

Lena smiled, almost mischievously. "Oh, I have no doubt that they can. They're more mature than a lot of the older students we currently have. I think they'll surprise you. But yes, the longer it takes for that next step to come, the better, though I won't be surprised if it's sooner rather than later."

"What of Ginny's parents? Are they aware of this? I mean, I know what's going on, now, with the abductions, but were they aware this could happen? Most parents aren't, and are a little upset over it when they do find out."

"To be honest, I don't know. Probably, they are unaware. However, seeing as Sirius is currently Ginny's legal guardian, it won't be as big of an issue for us." Lena chuckled. "We'll let him deal with any parental wrath that may come later."

"Mrs. Cole?"

Lena turned to see one of her sixth-year students standing just outside Amelia's door. The girl looked pale, and if Lena remembered correctly, was prone to terrible headaches. Quickly, Lena stood and helped the girl to a bed, while Amelia went to her potions cabinet for what she needed. In short order, Amelia was back and handing the potion to the girl.

"Amelia, you're busy. I'm going to go. We'll talk more later."

Lena didn't wait for a response, which was just as well since she didn't receive one. She took a moment to watch Harry, to satisfy herself that their little "trick" had worked for him, before returning to her office.

0000

Harry groaned and tried to burrow down into the blanket covering him, but the hand returned to shake his shoulder. A muffled voice called his name. He whined a bit. He wanted to sleep! Unfortunately, his mind opened his eyes to stare blearily at the person hovering over him

"Well, hello, there. Mrs. Cole tells me you had a solid four and a half hours of sleep. That's good news."

Harry rubbed at his eyes, recognizing the voice as belonging to Miss Raido. Suppressing a yawn, he fumbled for his glasses and put them on. His eyes felt swollen. "Yeah. No dreams at all," he affirmed, his voice raspy. "Would really like some more." He was so groggy, it was as if he'd been overdosed on Dreamless Sleep Potion, then awakened a mere hour into its effects.

"I know, and I'm sorry for waking you. I'll have an elf bring you some dinner. Ginny popped in after class. She should be back soon. Get up for a little while, then you can go back to bed."

Nodding, Harry yawned. "Yeah, okay. I guess I am a bit hungry."

"Good. I'll just go notify an elf."

Harry watched his Ancient Runes teacher walk away, wondering about her concern over him. He would have expected the concern from Mrs. Cole or Miss Lena, but definitely not from one of the teachers. She'd acted more like a Healer than a teacher. Well, sounded like it, at any rate.

"Oh, good, she did manage to wake you. How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry looked up at the smiling face of Mrs. Cole. "Yes, she did, unfortunately. I feel like I could sleep for a week."

"Yes, I'm sure you do. Now that you're getting the rest you need, you'll start feeling better. While you can't get back the sleep you lost, the solid hours of sleep you get in the next few days will certainly help counteract that deficiency."

The Infirmary door opened to admit Ginny carrying a dinner tray and Chris, still carrying his book bag. Mrs. Cole stepped away, telling Harry that he could leave once he'd finished eating.

Ginny propped herself on Harry's bed, leaving Chris to take the chair. She handed over the dinner tray, studying him closely. It made Harry want to squirm. The food smelled delicious. He dug into his roast beef hungrily.

"Thanks for bringing this, Ginny," he said in between bites of roast beef, green beans, and carrots.

"It's no problem, Harry, but you might want to slow down a bit," Ginny said, chuckling. "Your stomach might not agree with being inundated with all that food."

Harry laughed sheepishly, then countered with, "Ron doesn't seem to have a problem."

Ginny snorted. "That would be because he's eaten like a pig since he could use a fork."

Halfway through his meal, Harry carefully set down his fork, took a breath, then looked up at his friend. "Chris, I want to apologize for the way I've acted. I've been a git and -"

"Don't worry about it, Harry. A chronic lack of sleep is enough to make anyone ill-tempered. I'm just glad something's been done for you. You were looking close to collapsing." Chris rifled through his book bag for parchment, quill, and ink. Quickly writing something down, he handed the parchment to Harry. "Potions and Transfiguration assignments. Mr. Philter wants you to set up a time with him to brew the Girding Potion. Here's a tip. Don't do it after you eat because that one reeks."

Harry wrinkled his nose at the thought of brewing something so foul. "Yeah, thanks, for the tip. What does it do?"

"It increases your endurance for a few weeks. It's a handy little potion, but I don't think I could ever get past the stink. I don't even want to imagine how it tastes."

Harry didn't want to imagine it, either, though it had to be better than the Wolfsbane Potion. He looked at his Transfiguration assignment. "The Draconifors Spell?"

"Yeah, that will change an object into a dragon, which you can control. The bigger the object you use, the bigger the dragon will be, and the harder it will be to control."

"You better not teach that one to Hagrid, then," Ginny quipped.

Familiar with Hagrid's penchant towards the larger, more dangerous creatures, Harry laughed and agreed. For Chris, he explained. "Hagrid is the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts. He's the kindest person you could ever hope to meet, but he likes the dangerous creatures a little too much."

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, he once tried to keep a baby dragon in his house. Needless to say, that didn't last long."

Chris shook his head and laughed. "I can't even imagine that." After a moment of silence, he stood. "Well, I know you two need to talk. I just wanted to bring you the assignments you missed. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, later. And thanks for bringing that by."

Chris waved and left. Harry finished his dinner, then set the tray aside. He knew he should start the conversation he needed to have with Ginny, but he didn't really know how to start. Despite the few hours of sleep he had been able to get, he still felt too weary for a discussion as important as the one that now needed to take place.

"Harry?" Ginny hesitantly asked. "We need to talk. You know, about what you said earlier."

Harry focused on his lap, unable to meet Ginny's gaze, and nodded. "I know."

"Harry, we're not going to be able to do this right if you can't look at me."

Fighting his embarrassment, Harry slowly lifted his gaze to meet Ginny's. "I've already told you everything. There's really not anything more to be said."

"Well, how about telling me why you never said anything to me about what was going on?"

Harry inwardly winced. Though she hadn't said it in a way that was condemning, he still felt the sting of her words. "It's just … personal … and embarrassing. We're so young still, younger than most who mean it when they say I love you." He picked at the edge of his bed sheet. "I guess I didn't want to scare you or worry you. I didn't want you to ..."

"Didn't want me to what, Harry?" Ginny asked, once it was clear Harry wasn't going to say anything more.

"I didn't want you to get tired of all my issues and leave," Harry said so softly it was hard to hear him. He actually flinched in surprise when a hand on his chin forced him to look into her eyes. What he saw there nearly had him weeping.

"Harry, I will never leave you. I can't. I've told you that before, and I'll keep telling you that until it sinks in. As for the other, yes, we're young, but as was told to me, we can't judge our lives by other people's ideals. We have to live our own lives. If we're happy with how _we're_ living, then what does the rest matter?" Ginny paused a moment before continuing. "Now that I know what's been happening, I can better handle it. Whenever you need to, just go. I won't think anything about it. If it helps for you to go, then go. It won't hurt my feelings a bit. Okay?"

"Okay," Harry whispered, barely getting the sound past the lump in his throat. "I've got the best girlfriend ever."

"Yes, you do," Ginny quipped. "But then, it only is fitting, since I have the best boyfriend ever."

Harry pulled Ginny close so that their foreheads touched. " _Je t'aime mon ange._ " Ginny leaned away and beamed down at him, making Harry feel giddy, despite having stumbled over the foreign words and pronunciations. "It's true. I do love you, and you _are_ an angel to me. You've been so incredibly understanding about everything."

"Thanks, Harry. I love hearing you say that. So I suppose I'll respond in kind. _Je t'aime mon loup_."

Harry smiled. Her wolf. Yes, he was definitely that. Always. He contemplated kissing her, right there in the Infirmary, but the sound of the door opening halted that train of thought. Miss Lena walked in, looking happy to see them.

"Well, hello. It's good to see you together again. You're looking a little better already, Harry, though I think it'll be several days before you completely lose the insomniac look."

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, I could definitely sleep for the entire next week."

"Well, that, naturally, can't be allowed to happen, but you'll get there." Miss Lena focused on Ginny. "Do you mind if I take up some of Harry's waking hours this evening? There's something he and I need to discuss."

Harry instantly flushed with embarrassment. He was fairly certain what the topic of conversation would be. He didn't know which would be worse – having the conversation with his Headmistress or having the conversation with Ginny's parents. On second thought, he figured talking about things with Miss Lena would be infinitely less mortifying than discussing them with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Of course, Miss Lena." Ginny leaned over to give Harry quick but sincere kiss. "I'll see you later or in the morning, whichever comes first."

Harry watched Ginny leave, then forced himself to meet Miss Lena's gaze. "I've told her. Everything."

"Oh, I figured as much when she didn't look shocked in my office. I'm glad you came clean about that. Honesty in a relationship is very important."

"I know. It's just … as Ginny and I grew closer, all I've ever heard is to be careful, to not get carried away and do something we shouldn't. And now ..."

"And now, sometimes that's all you can think about. I understand. Believe me, I do. Tell me, how often does it happen? How strong is it?"

Harry shrugged, the color that had faded from his cheeks returning. "It comes and goes. Sometimes I have a bit of warning, other times it hits me suddenly. There's times when I have no trouble ignoring it, and other times when I feel the best course of action is to run before I actually do something."

"To be honest, I'm not that surprised. While you're technically the equivalent of a one year old wolf, and wolves don't technically become ready for a mate until about the age of two or three, you're still a fourteen-year-old boy with all the hormones that go with being that age. The DNAs mix and it gives you the volatile stage you now find yourself in. It's just much stronger than 'normal'. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. As in all troubling things, they get worse before they get better."

Harry groaned, not liking that at all. "I don't know if I can handle worse."

"You can. I'm certain of it. There will come a time when you'll have to address the issue. You'll know when that time is. Let me tell you what can help."

Harry listened with wide eyes, certain he would spontaneously combust at any moment from the heat of his mortification. One half of his brain adamantly argued that he was never doing anything like what Miss Lena described with Ginny, while the other half of his brain was highly intrigued. It almost whispered that he should just go ahead if it would help like Miss Lena claimed. Furthermore, Miss Lena was giving him permission to do this! In private, of course, but still … Harry began rubbing his forehead, on information overload.

"And on that note, I'll leave you be," his Headmistress concluded. "I'm sure I've given you quite a bit to think about. One thing's for sure, you need to talk to Ginny about what I've told you."

Harry looked at his Headmistress as if she'd just sprouted tentacles. "What?"

"Honesty, Harry. Remember what I said. This involves her, so she has a right to know."

Harry had to admit, she was right. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Yeah, okay. Just, I can't right now. Please?"

He received a comforting pat on the hand. "It doesn't have to be right this moment, but you should talk to her soon."

"I will." Wanting to change the subject, Harry quickly asked, "Have you heard from Sirius? Has there been any progress?"

"No, Harry, I haven't, but I haven't expected to. Investigations take time. I know it's difficult, especially for Ginny, but her mother and brothers will be found." With that, Miss Lena left him alone.

Throwing aside the bed covers, Harry put on his shoes, grabbed his book bag, and the parchment with his missed assignments. With an admonition from Mrs. Cole not to stay up too late, Harry left the Infirmary to get to work on his homework. Harry snorted, then stifled a yawn. As if he _could_ stay up late. He had a feeling he was going to be next to worthless the next few days, but promised himself to work diligently to get caught up in classes when he was more like himself.

0000

It was late, that much he could tell by the stars in the patch of sky visible through the single window near the ceiling in the room in which he currently occupied. Tied with magical ropes to a chair as he was, he hadn't been able to rest much. He had no idea how many days he'd been there now, having lost count after the first two. His muscles ached from his last beating, something that happened way too frequently. His captors apparently thought he'd give up some information on Harry, something they could use to beat him. They were out of luck; they just didn't know it yet. He winced as the abrasive ropes cut deeper into his already raw and bleeding wrists. The door opened. _Ding! Ding! Ding!_ Time for round …one thousand?

"So, decided to talk yet?" one of the captors, a beefy man who went by the name of Coleman asked.

The man in the chair sat proudly, silent. He knew saying anything would only get him tortured again, not that that wasn't already inevitable. If he could delay it, though, all the better. He was backhanded for his defiance. That was the thing about Coleman, he loved physical brutality just as much as he loved magical violence. Coleman leaned close.

"Still not talking? That's a shame." The bound man's head yanked backward. His torturer sneered. "Maybe I should get rid of this long hair. In the process, I could _accidentally_ cut you. What do you say to that? Don't know why you like it like that anyway. It looks undignified."

"Does Lucius know you think that? Maybe you should tell him." He was rewarded with a punch to his jaw. Blood squirted into his mouth where he'd bitten the inside of his cheek.

Coleman cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to have fun breaking you. Tell me about Potter. What are his weaknesses?"

"You're never going to get your hands on him. You know that, don't you?"

"Oh, we have our ways, rest assured."

"Do those ways cross an ocean?"

Coleman narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" the beaten man asked with a laugh. "I can't believe you don't know. It's only been in the Daily Prophet for the entire month of September. Harry's not at Hogwarts. He's not going to be entering the Tournament. Therefore, you're not going to get him."

Coleman leaned close. "He'd better find a way. For your sake, and for that of your family."

Coleman stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Bill sighed. "No, he'd really better not."

0000

Molly very clearly heard the conversation going on in the next room. Their captors had made certain of it by somehow sending all the sounds from the boys' rooms into hers. For days, she'd had to listen helplessly as skin contacted skin, as curse upon curse was thrown at them. Through it all, her boys had stayed strong, not giving in. She was immensely proud of her sons for it, especially Charlie. Molly wasn't blind. She knew he'd had a hard time accepting Harry and Ginny's relationship as it had deepened. Even so, Charlie often responded to the torture with taunts of his own. It never ended well, but he never let anything slip about Harry, protecting the boy as he would any of his other brothers.

Molly feared for Harry. If she knew that boy, and she was fairly certain she did, he would do whatever it took for him to get into that ruddy Tournament, just so that she, Bill, and Charlie would survive. Harry had a big heart, too big in this instance. Just because he entered, there was no guarantee she, or Bill, or Charlie would survive. Molly knew this all too well, but she feared Harry wouldn't take a moment to think logically about it. She shook her head ruefully. She loved Harry dearly, but he had a noble streak a mile wide. She feared what this Tournament would do to him. For all he'd been through, he had a tender soul, and something as harrowing and deadly as this Tournament was known to be could have a very negative impact on someone so sensitive. And then there were these men. What did they want with Harry? Nothing good, that was for certain.

"Please," Molly whispered into the night, "let us be found before Harry finds his way into that competition."

0000

Charlie's shoulders ached from hanging by his bleeding wrists for so long, bearing the brunt of his weight as his toes barely skimmed the floor. In actuality, it wasn't just his shoulders that ached; his entire body screamed in agony at the physical abuse that been heaped upon it. Exhausted beyond belief, he still refused to give his captors the information they wanted, not like he had a lot to tell them anyway. He simply didn't know Harry as well as the others in his family did.

As he hung there, awaiting the next sparring match with his captors, Charlie's thoughts, again, turned to Harry and, subsequently, Ginny. Looking back on his behavior towards Harry, Charlie was ashamed of himself. When he'd first met Harry, he'd been delighted at the positive impact he'd had on Ginny. Even Harry's werewolf status hadn't changed his opinion, despite learning of it the way he had. Then, the next time he saw them, they were claiming to love each other, and that had taken him by complete surprise. Not only that, but Mum and Dad were letting Ginny go off to some place far away with Harry and Sirius! It just hadn't seemed right and he'd let his opinions blind him to what was right in front of him.

Looking back at things, Charlie could admit to how wrong he'd been. Reviewing the memories he had of Harry and Ginny's interactions, he could easily see that there was something more than mere infatuation between them. It was obvious in how they spoke to each other, the gentle teasing, the soft voices they used. It was in the way they touched, a gentle caress, a soothing hand on a shoulder or back. Just the simple fact that one hand always seemed to seek out the hand of the other, consciously or subconsciously. With a single look, they seemed capable of having an entire conversation, something Charlie had seen between his parents.

He heard footsteps coming down the hall. It could only mean one thing. Preparing himself mentally, he vowed that when, not if, he got out of there, he'd be sure to beg Harry and Ginny's forgiveness He just hoped Harry didn't actually enter the Tournament in order for his release to happen, though Charlie wasn't sure how Harry could even accomplish that. He had no doubt, however, that Harry would find a way if he believed it would earn Charlie, his brother, and his mother's releases.

His door swung open. Well, here they went again. Charlie inhaled as deeply as he could. If Harry could take what he went through every month of his life, then Charlie felt he could endure some more pain because surely it wasn't nearly as bad as Harry's.

 **A/N:** Sorry it's taken longer than usual to update. Ever since vacation in early July, I just haven't found the motivation to write. I am still working on chapter 19. School for the kids will be starting tomorrow so maybe I'll be more able to write.


	15. Prepare for the Worst

**Expect the best, Prepare for the worst.**

 **-Muhammad Ali Jinnah**

Nine days into October, eight days after receiving the note that brought fear and worry to Harry and Ginny, Sirius returned from Britain with unwelcome news. Harry, Ginny, and Sirius had gathered in Miss Lena's office to hear Sirius' report. There was no sign of Ginny's mum, Bill, or Charlie anywhere. Ginny's head fell and she softly began to cry. Harry folded her into his arms, holding her close as she wept on his shoulder. Harry looked up into his godfather's sad gray eyes.

"No sign at all? How can that be? There should be _something_."

"Not necessarily, Harry. Their location is likely to be protected with a Fidelius Charm or the location has been made Unplottable with a Masking Charm. Either way, I'm afraid they may not be found before the Triwizard Tournament has its Champions Selections."

Ginny jerked away from Harry to stare up at Sirius, who hadn't taken a seat when they'd entered Miss Lena's office. Harry nearly winced at the grip she had on his hand. "No!" she said, her red eyes shining with determination. "Harry can't enter that Tournament! I'm worried about my family, but that Tournament is dangerous! There can only be one reason they want him to enter, and we all know it's not because they're fans of his."

"Ginny, if I can do something that will help them, I want to do it."

Ginny whirled back around to face Harry, a fierce expression on her face. "You can't, Harry. You just can't. What makes you think these people will even follow through and release any of them?"

Harry let go of Ginny's hand, cupped her face, and looked deeply into her eyes. "I have to try, Ginny. I wouldn't be able to live with the fact that I might have saved them if I'd done what the attackers wanted. Please try to understand that."

Harry knew the instant he'd won, though it didn't feel much like a victory. Another tear slid down her cheek and Harry thumbed it away. Ginny covered one of his hands with one of her own.

"Okay, Harry," she said softly. "You need to be ready. You need to learn a lot of helpful spells to prepare yourself."

Harry offered her cheeky grin. "What do you think we've been doing every morning the last several days?"

Ginny sniffled, and laughed. "Yeah, I suppose so."

Ignoring the adults in the room, Harry leaned close and gently kissed Ginny. It was quick, but full of emotion. Then, he turned his attention back to Sirius. "So, how can we get me into the Tournament?"

Miss Lena spoke up. "I can ask around, see if I can determine which school is taking part. Perhaps it wouldn't take much convincing to let us take their place. As Ginny pointed out, that Tournament is dangerous. Even here, we've heard of it. Not everyone has been fond of it."

Sirius nodded. "While you do that, I can fly back to New York. Maybe I can find out who it is by going by the Department of Magical Games and Sports or whatever their equivalent is. If that doesn't work, I can try their Department of International Magical Cooperation. The sooner we know who to contact, the better off Harry will be."

"Agreed," Miss Lena said with a nod. "Alright. We have a plan of action. Harry, I'll talk to your teachers, particularly Miss Ward, Miss Naveen, and Mr. Asi. Starting this week, you'll be given work designed specifically for helping get you through this Tournament, just in case it does come down to you having to compete. A vast array of knowledge in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration will serve you well, I think."

"Thanks, Miss Lena."

Harry stood and led Ginny from the office. He took her to one of the sofas in the commons area, sat and cuddled her close, Ginny actually sitting in his lap. She wrapped one arm around his waist and burrowed her face into his neck. Silently, he combed his fingers through Ginny's unbound hair, hoping to soothe her as much as the action always soothed him. Ever since he'd sat down with her and they'd discussed the suggestion that Miss Lena had made the day Harry had received his runic 'tattoos', he felt closer to Ginny than ever before. It had been a difficult talk, but he'd managed, and now, he was glad he'd swallowed his embarrassment and done it. Ginny had blushed, but then had given him a playful wink and had made a cheeky comment that so thoroughly stunned him, he'd been speechless. That was certainly not what he'd expected from her. From that moment on, they'd occasionally teased each other about it, all in good fun.

Harry gently placed a kiss to her temple. Looking around them, kids were going about their normal lives, completing studies, playing games, laughing. Harry didn't blame them; that was what life was all about. He felt gratitude that they were sympathetic to Ginny's plight and gave him and Ginny some space. News of the abductions had spread fairly quickly, and to his and Ginny's surprise, several of the upper year girls had offered to listen if she needed to talk.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry."

Harry looked up at Sirius in mild surprise, not having noticed his godfather approaching them. He felt Ginny shift a little and tilt her head up.

"It's okay, Sirius," she said softly. "You tried." She burrowed into Harry's neck again.

Sirius motioned to the sofa, brows raised in question. Harry answered by nodding. "So, er," Sirius touched his neck, places that corresponded with Harry's tattoos. "What's this about? I noticed you have two of them."

"They're protective runes. Apparently, there's this spirit that is known to either help lycans or try to control and possess them. She'd begun visiting me in my dreams, turning them into horrible nightmares, and they ended the same way – with Ginny being killed and me walking away from her without a care." Harry shuddered, recalling some of the images from those dreams. He shuddered for an entirely different reason when he felt the light kiss to his neck.

"I knew you weren't doing well," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I should have made you talk. I didn't want to force the issue, hoping you'd speak up if you really needed something."

"I know. You don't have to lecture me on that. I've already gotten an earful."

Sirius nodded, looking satisfied with that. "Good. So, these runes, then, are helping?"

"Definitely. Six nights without a single nightmare so far. I have to say, I'm glad Ginny made me say something to Miss Lena. To be honest, it was getting really bad."

"That's what I'm here for." Ginny's muffled voice held a hint of her usual cheekiness. "I had to do something. He was getting rather … beastly."

Harry snorted, happy that Ginny felt good enough to make a joke. "Very funny."

"Sorry about that, kiddo. I hadn't heard of that spirit or I might have chosen somewhere else."

"Don't worry about it, Sirius. I like this place. It's exactly the way a school ought to be: fun, relaxed, educational, and safe. The people here have been simply brilliant in their attitudes. I have a hard time believing the difference between here and Hogwarts."

Sirius sighed. "You lost your scar and gained tattoos. So much for trying to not stand out."

Harry shrugged. "I don't mind. They're doing what they're supposed to do. Besides, my scar is still there. You just have to look really close to see it now. I _did_ get a few odd looks Monday and Tuesday, but nothing was ever said, and there wasn't any finger-pointing or whispering. It's been rather nice."

Sirius tilted his head to the side as he studied Harry's ink. Then, a huge grin spread across his face. "I think I like the idea of you with tattoos. James and Remus would probably kill me for putting the idea into your head, but if you want a real one, I'd be happy to take you somewhere to get one. What do you think, Ginny? Would you like to see Harry with more tattoos?"

Harry's skin tingled, sending little shivers of delight racing through him, when Ginny ran a finger over each of his Runic protectors. He loved that sensation, couldn't get enough of it, despite the risk of setting off his inner beast. Ginny had, apparently, figured out he loved feeling those tingles, and had learned to read him well enough to know when it was okay to tease him in such a way.

"I really like these. They're just the right size." She paused, then said, contemplatively, "I don't know. I think more would look really nice as long as they weren't huge and were tasteful." She nodded. "The more I think about it, the more I really like the idea."

Harry looked down at Ginny, surprised. "You do?"

"I do." Ginny blushed. "Some of the older Muggle-born witches at Hogwarts read these novels with a witch and wizard on the front, embracing. Some of the wizards had tattoos. I thought they looked ..."

Ginny shrugged, but she didn't have to say more. So, the idea of tattoos appealed to her, did it? Deciding to have a little fun, Harry turned to Sirius. "Well, if that wasn't reason enough, I don't know what would be."

Sirius laughed. "You've certainly learned early, kiddo. If the witch is happy, the wizard is happy."

Harry laughed, but Ginny threw Sirius a stern look, though it was ruined by the twitching of her lips. Sobering a bit, Sirius advised, "You should take some time to think about it. This isn't something that should be done on a whim."

"I will, don't worry, but I'm sort of warming up to the idea. I mean, my whole life people have stared at my scar the instant they learned who I was. It's mostly gone but people are still going to look. I might as well give them something to look at, right?"

Sirius' brows rose. "I'm impressed, Harry. I know how much you've hated attention. To realize that you'll get it regardless of that scar, and to embrace it, that shows mature thinking. When you decide what you want, let me know and I'll set it up for you."

"Alright. Thanks, Sirius."

Sirius left them alone on the couch. After a moment or two, Ginny had a request. "Harry, is it alright if we talk to Hermione, Ron, and Neville? Ron could be a git, but he's my brother, and I think I really need to see him right now."

"Of course, Ginny. Whatever you want. Would you rather be alone?"

Ginny pressed her lips to his for a moment. "No. I need you with me."

"Just thought I'd ask."

Harry shivered again when Ginny combed her hand through his hair, smiling gently at him. "I know and I thank you for asking. I'll be right back."

Harry watched her leave, running a hand over his face once she was out of sight, inhaling deeply. _That_ feeling was returning again. The tingles, the caresses, the kisses, they all contributed. If she'd stayed with him, Harry feared he'd have had to leave her when she needed him. He sighed. He'd just have to fight it as much as possible. He couldn't walk away from Ginny, not when she depended on him for support. Standing, he stuffed his fists into his pockets, his normal action when the feeling came upon him, and waited by the front door for Ginny's return with the mirror.

0000

Harry gasped. "He's teaching you _what?_ "

"The Unforgivables, I know!" Hermione reiterated, nodding to show her understanding of Harry's shock. "He used the Imperius on all of us, telling us to try to break it. No one could. He had us doing all manner of odd things." She threw a worried look at Neville.

Pale and obviously bothered by the subject, Neville bravely continued the tale. "Then, he took out this arachnid and used the Cruciatus on it. Its legs flailed and convulsed so much." Neville shuddered. "It wasn't pretty."

Hermione finished the description of the class. "Then, he killed it," she said somberly. "He said something like: Only one person has ever been hit with the Killing Curse and has lived to tell the tale. The one person who's missing from your class."

Harry shuddered, very much appreciative of the fact that Miss Ward hadn't even _mentioned_ the Unforgivables yet. When it did eventually come up, Harry didn't think he'd take to hearing about it. He certainly didn't want to see it demonstrated. It sickened him a bit that Hogwarts students were seeing that. What in Merlin's magical name was Dumbledore thinking? Sadly, Harry shook his head. It sounded as if Dumbledore had lost all control of the school.

Changing the subject, Harry asked about the rumors and received curt responses from Ron. A little taken aback by the coldness in Ron's tone, Harry turned his attention to Neville. "Hey, mate, thanks again for getting that information from Dumbledore. Mr. Philter, our Potions teacher, has it, now, and thinks it could work. He just hasn't had a lot of time to devote to it. It might be Christmas before he can spend any time on it."

Neville blushed, but smiled brightly. "Glad I could help, Harry. He really didn't seem surprised that you asked for it."

"Good. I knew I could count on you to do it."

Ginny asked a few questions regarding the other classes, and again, received curt answers from Ron, glowering at the two of them. "Other than the fact that Mum, Bill, and Charlie have disappeared, what's your problem, Ron?" she demanded.

"Nothing."

"Sure sounds like it to me," she retorted.

"Harry," Hermione cut in, obviously hoping to prevent a family argument, "can I ask why you have those runes on your neck?"

Ron's glower instantly changed to one of confusion. "The what?"

"The runes, Ron. You know, those blue markings that Harry has on his neck?"

"They're runes?"

"Yes," Hermione said with a bit of an eye roll. "That's what I said. What did you think they were?"

Color instantly stained Ron's cheeks, and Harry knew exactly what Ginny's brother had been thinking. Apparently, so did Ginny because she snapped at him. "Oh, I know exactly what he was thinking. At least, I'm fairly certain. And Ron, it would have been none of your business if they _had_ been what you were thinking. At least I have someone I could do that with."

Harry looked away from his friends in the hopes of controlling the heat that wanted to crawl up into his face. The wolf inside him practically panted in anticipation of putting those types of marks on Ginny and doing a whole lot more. Harry fidgeted a bit and ran a hand across his face. His mind mercilessly conjured up images of himself and Ginny from his dreams to torture him further. Then, naturally, it had to remind him how it had felt to touch her chest. Even through her clothes, he had been able to feel her softness. Harry fidgeted again, clenching his fists to rid themselves of that ghostly sensation.

"Harry?"

Harry startled, a bit caught up in what his brain had been doing to him. Looking at Ginny, he found her watching him closely. She'd been quite aware of his resurfacing issue the instant she'd seen him by the front door; he'd seen it in her accepting expression and slight nod of her head. Harry shook his head trying to clear it.

"Sorry. What?"

"The runes on your neck, Harry," Hermione restated.

"Oh, er, they're for protection."

"Why do you need protection, Harry? Runic protection is some of the most powerful protection there is."

Harry described his harrowing nightmares, leaving out the details as to what he and Ginny had been doing in his dreams. "I'd wake up in a cold sweat, terrified beyond belief. I was too scared to sleep after lots of nights of that. Ginny finally convinced me to go to Miss Lena, our Headmistress, and ask for help."

"After I made him tell me what was happening with him, that is," Ginny added. "The silly git had suffered in silence all that time."

"So, anyway," Harry rushed on, "it was finally decided to try the runes. I'm happy to say I've been nightmare-free since Monday night."

"That explains why you look tired," Hermione observed.

"You should have seen him before," Ginny said, shaking her head. "He looks _good_ compared to then."

Hoping to redirect the topic to something less irritating, Harry asked, "So, Hermione, have any idea which runes they are?"

"Hold the mirror to your neck and I might be able to tell you."

Harry held it up to the left side of his neck first. He laughed as he listened to Hermione talk to herself in an attempt to figure out which one the rune was.

"Oh, I've seen it in the Ancient Runes text, but I can't remember what it's called! Don't tell me, Harry!" She muttered some more. "Oh! I know what that one is! It's _Security_!"

Harry lifted the mirror to look into it, smiling at his friend's pride. "Yes, it is. Good job. What about the other one?" Without being prompted, Harry showed off the other one.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I know that one, too!" she excitedly said, sounding to Harry as if she was playing a timed game of Charades, Ancient Runes Edition. She began snapping her fingers. "That's _Guardian_! Also known as the Runic Cross. Those are powerful runes, Harry."

"I know. Like I said, they've been helping."

"At least they're not very big," Neville observed. "They don't stand out all that much. I mean, they do. They're dark blue, after all, but they could be much bigger."

"No, thankfully, but honestly, the people here haven't really paid much attention to them. I mean, yes, people looked the first day or so, and I could see they were curious, but there weren't any whispers or rude stares."

Ginny snorted. "I'm fairly certain everyone could see you weren't sleeping much, Harry. I heard some girls talking, not gossiping, but just talking. They were hoping the runes would help you, as you so obviously needed it."

"Oh. Well, at least they weren't gossiping about it." Harry paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "But I've come to realize something. People are going to gawk at me and talk just because of my name. If they're going to stare at me anyway, I might as well give them something to look at."

Ginny turned to him, surprised. "So you've decided, then?"

"Decided what?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded to Ginny, then answered his friend. "Sirius just suggested it a few minutes ago. I think I might get a tattoo – a real one. Something visible, obviously, but not outrageous. I'll have to think about what to get and where to get it."

Hermione's eyes bugged. "Wow, Harry, that was certainly unexpected. Ginny, what do you think about it?"

Ginny looked Harry over, a grin teasing her lips – one that made his already strained resolve crumble a little further, though she was unaware of that. "I think it'll look great. He already looks really good with the runes. I can't imagine feeling differently if he was to get more."

The friends talked a bit about the upcoming Triwizard Tournament. By mutual agreement, neither Harry nor Ginny mentioned the ultimatum Harry had received, wanting to keep it a secret that Harry might just end up being at Hogwarts for certain periods of time. It wouldn't do for that information to get out prematurely.

Harry's mind kept wandering due to the flowery scent he always associated with Ginny continuously assaulting him. He tried to hide how he was feeling, tried to stay focused on the discussions at hand, but Ginny still managed to figure him out. When he felt her foot nudge his, he looked in her direction and received a slight head tilt in the direction of the school. A clear signal – to him – to go. Harry turned his attention back to his friends, scrambling for some topic to take his mind off his inner struggle.

"Quidditch!" Harry practically yelled the first thing that popped into his head. "Are they still having Quidditch?"

"No," Ron replied, sounding more than a little irritated. "They canceled the entire season! Can you believe that? All because of the Tournament! They waited until now to tell us. They let us get excited about it, and then dropped this little bit of news on us."

Harry shifted in his seat again, pulling his thigh away from Ginny's as best he could on the small bench they sat upon. The light brushes of her leg against his just made things worse for him.

"Harry, weren't you supposed to brew that potion for Mr. Philter today? The one you missed on Monday?"

Harry looked up at Ginny blankly. He'd already brewed that potion. Yesterday. She knew that; he'd told her when he left to do it that that was what he was doing. He continued to stare at her, clueless. She bobbed her head slightly toward the school again. Harry nearly blushed. Apparently, Ginny knew just how difficult his battle of wills was becoming. His gaze dropped to her lips as a sudden urge to kiss her came over him. Deciding he'd better go, Harry nodded, and turned back to the mirror.

"Er, sorry," he said, his voice a bit raspy. Harry cleared his throat. "Ginny's right. I have to go. I'll talk to you later. Neville, thanks, again, mate, for your help." The need flared intensely inside, and Harry was certain the beastly side of him knew it was going to be denied again. He rushed through his other goodbyes. "Hermione, don't study too hard. Ron, don't slack off too much."

Harry didn't waste any more time. He practically ran back towards the school, all the while feeling bad for leaving, berating himself for not having better control. The monster that seemed to be so close to the surface these days fought to make him turn around, but Harry kept walking, his hands in tight fists deep inside his pockets. Preferring to put as much distance between himself and Ginny, he entered the main building and continued on to the back door, refusing to look at the new door that had appeared between the kitchen and the Rec Room ever since his little chat with Miss Lena Monday evening.

Once he'd passed the large greenhouse, Harry began to slow his pace. He still felt the pull, but it was easing a bit, now. He didn't feel like sitting and watching the fish in the pond that was just beyond the greenhouse, so he headed for the Quidditch pitch wishing he had his broom, but didn't dare try Summoning it again. Climbing into the empty stands, he dropped onto a bench, folded his arms over his knees, and leaned forward, his body trembling with the force of the turmoil inside him. He'd almost stayed with Ginny too long that time.

"Why?" he asked the emptiness. "Why now? I honestly don't know how long I can handle this. And it's supposed to get stronger?"

Harry groaned at the thought. Massaging his temples with his thumbs, he worked on calming himself, taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. His mind conjured the image of the door to the room that had recently appeared, and he groaned again. He did _not_ need that visual. He was _not_ going into that room with Ginny! _Not! Not! Not!_ Harry rubbed at his forehead, concentrating on his breathing.

It took some time, but he finally wrestled the wolf back into submission. Heaving a huge sigh, he lifted his head to glance around the empty pitch. He missed playing and had hoped he'd get to play this year, but it looked as if that wasn't going to happen – not if he had to enter this Tournament. Maybe Ginny could play. He'd be just as happy to watch her as she dominated the game. Ginny was a natural, graceful flier who was not above getting physical if it was needed.

The heat of the New Orleans sun beat down on him, and Harry decided it was time to get out of the heat. Climbing out of the stands, he headed for the classroom building thinking he might find Mr. Philter and see if he'd had a chance to fully study the Suppression Potion information. Harry hated bothering the Potions teacher again about it, but he was anxious to see if the potion would work. If there was a chance to _not_ transform during the full moon, why wouldn't he jump at the opportunity?

Stepping inside the building, Harry sighed in relief from the heat. As he headed for the Potions Lab, he thought it weird to be walking down the corridors on a Sunday. Coming to the lab, Harry saw the door was open wide, a sign that told him Mr. Philter was in his office. At the beginning of the school year, Mr. Philter had told the class that he often could be found in his office on the weekends, to just look for the open lab door.

After climbing the stairs to the office, Harry rapped on the doorjamb. "Mr. Philter?" he called out, looking around the room.

The Potions teacher stepped around a corner. "Harry! It's good to see you looking more rested. I think I can guess why you're here. The information you brought me, correct?"

"Yes. I'm sorry to be such a bother."

Mr. Philter waved Harry into the office and over to a work table that had sheets of parchment scattered across its surface. Drawing closer, Harry could see what occupied the table top: his potion research.

"I've been working on it, as you can see," Mr. Philter said, indicating his work table. "By the way, you've not been a bother. Something as important and life-changing as this, I'd be anxious, too. Now, let me share with you what I've been able to deduce ..."

0000

When he met up with Ginny and Chris at lunch, Harry relayed what Mr. Philter had said. Ginny hugged him, and Harry sighed happily at the lack of reaction on his part to the contact.

"Is he letting Miss Lena know about it?" Chris asked. He lowered his voice and spoke softly enough for only Harry and Ginny to hear. "Is he telling Alex about it?"

Harry nodded, finishing his bite of sandwich before replying. "Mr. Philter will be asking Alex if he wants to test it once it's brewed. I volunteered, but he wouldn't let me."

"I would think not," Ginny retorted. "You're not some – what's the Muggle saying? Oh, yes, now I remember. You're not some lab rat to be experimented upon."

Harry shrugged. "Aren't we all to some extent? I mean, when each healing potion was first created, no one would know if it would work the way it was supposed to, right? Someone, though, had to try it in order to find out. We, as a whole, have been experimented upon from the beginning." Uncomfortable with the looks he received from his girlfriend and friend, Harry shrugged again, focusing on his lunch. "That's just the way I see it."

"No, you're right," Ginny stated, awe in her voice. "I never thought about it like that, but you're right."

Chris shook his head. "I hadn't thought about it like that, either. In the Outside world, human experimentation is frowned upon. In the Wizarding world, testing things on animals is unacceptable. Sometimes, it makes you wonder just who is smarter."

Harry couldn't argue with that. In his experience, Muggles were ahead of Wizarding society in some things – like technology. The simple telly was a prime example. Muggles were able to see as well as hear the action during a football game on the telly. Harry thought it would be brilliant to be able to see a Quidditch game without having to physically be there. There were times when going to a game was simply not possible. Perhaps some Muggle-born, one day, would figure out how to make it work.

The three friends spent the remainder of the day relaxing and playing games, their homework having already been completed. Harry felt gratitude towards his friend for subtly challenging Ginny to various games, keeping her spirits up. He tried to convey his thanks to Chris with a simple look and received a nod in return. Apparently, Chris had understood.

0000

Tuesday evening found Harry, Ginny, and Chris in the commons area finishing up their homework. Or rather, Ginny was finishing her Transfiguration essay detailing the requirements needed to correctly turn a hedgehog into a pincushion as she'd had trouble with it during class. Harry and Chris, on the other hand, had pulled out their History of Magic. Several pieces of folded parchment marked various places in Harry's text.

"So, what is it that you have to do?" Ginny asked after watching the boys flip through their books.

"We're supposed to make a re-enactment of some event or portray someone in Magical history, only we're supposed to modernize it using today's language. There's bonus points for costumes – modern clothes, of course." Harry then grinned at Ginny. "Well, we were right. The class isn't boring."

"That actually does sound like fun. Did Mr. Lloyd put you in groups? Or is this a solo project?"

"Chris and I are working together. There were a few actual groups, but mostly people just paired up."

"How about this guy, Harry?" Chris asked, staring down at a page in his book. "His name is Mopsus. He was an Ancient Greek Seer who defeated a fellow Seer by the name of Calchas in a competition of their powers."

"But what kind of competition could they have had? They were Seers. Sounds like a long and boring competition."

Chris shrugged. "Could be. We'd have to look into it more."

Harry flipped through his textbook some more, then stopped. Laughing, he said, "Or we could try this guy. Actually, he was a vampire. Amarillo Lestoat." Harry began to read a bit out loud. "Born in 1776 here in America, he had blond hair, wore gaudy clothes and was known for boring his victims completely to make it easier to bite them. He even wrote a book to accomplish that called _A Vampire's Monologue_."

Chris also began to laugh. "I've seen his Chocolate Frog card. We could actually have some fun with that one. Do you want to use him?"

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, sure. If that Greek had been a dueler, it would have been fun, but a Seer competition? What would we do? Flip a Galleon or something and predict the outcome? Besides, I'm already more acquainted with a Seer than I really want to be."

Chris' humor turned to sheepishness. "Yeah, sorry. Didn't think about that."

"It's fine. So, are we in agreement? This vampire, then?"

Chris nodded his agreement, turned to the page that contained the information on Amarillo Lestoat, and began to read. Harry pulled out a blank sheet of parchment and began to make a few notes on things he found interesting.

"But how is he related to the History of Magic?" Ginny asked. "He's a magical creature, yes, but did he actually do something special?"

Harry skimmed over the information in his book. "He didn't, but he was finally killed in 1977, so he was pretty old."

"And," Chris added, "he wasn't killed the usual way with garlic and a wooden stake through his heart. No, someone tricked him into wearing some silver jewelry, which burned him, weakened him, and he couldn't heal himself. Once the jewelry was on, he couldn't take it off. Whoever had tricked him, dragged him out into a field where the sun would finish him off. No one knows exactly who the trickster was, but they know it was Amarillo in the field because the flashy clothes found there were the same ones Amarillo had worn the day before."

"Huh. I didn't know vampires were affected by silver," Ginny said.

"With that in common, is it any wonder why most people dislike us?" Harry asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.

Ginny threw him a fierce look. "Don't you start making excuses for them."

"Ginny's right, Harry. Vampires – the rare, decent ones – constantly struggle against their urges. Lycans don't have that problem."

Harry snorted in sarcastic amusement. That was something else werewolves and vampires had in common, or, at least, _could_ have in common, but, of course, Chris didn't know that. Ginny's hand caressing his arm soothed his irritation. In gratitude, Harry captured her hand in his and gave it a squeeze, which earned him one of his favorite smiles; it was soft and full of affection. He gave her a quick nod to let her know he felt better, then let her hand go and turned his attention to Chris.

"So, which of us will be Amarillo and which will be the unknown person?"

"Well, do you prefer to avoid the outlandish clothes?"

"It doesn't really matter to me."

Ginny, having looked at the picture of the vampire in question, began to giggle. "Oh, Merlin, he looks like a cross between Lockhart and Lucius Malfoy."

Not knowing how Lucius Malfoy looked, Harry just had to take her word for it, but she was right in that the expression was exactly the same one he'd seen in Lockhart's pictures, and the clothes were definitely reminiscent of something the boastful, ostentatious ex-professor would wear.

"I don't know about Lucius Malfoy, but I have to agree with you on Lockhart," Harry said, studying the photograph. "From the few pictures of Lockhart that I've seen, he and this vampire could be related."

"What would we use for the silver jewelry?" Chris asked. "I'd hate to use something that would actually affect you."

Harry immediately had an idea. Reaching with his left hand, he hesitated a fraction of a second before pulling off his ring and holding it up. "We can use this. It should be good enough. I'm sure more than a ring was used originally, but this should be fine. It looks close enough to real silver."

"Alright. That's solved. So, now, all we have to decide is our roles."

"That can be decided later. Why don't we concentrate on writing out what scene we want to do first?"

Chris shrugged. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Harry and Chris began throwing out suggestions for modernizing the tale of the vampire, accepting some ideas and rejecting others. Therefore, Harry missed the parchment that slipped from between the pages of his textbook, but Ginny didn't.

"Did you draw these, Harry?" Ginny asked, looking at the pictures on the parchment she held, drawing Harry's attention.

Realizing what Ginny was looking at, Harry blushed. "Yeah. They're not very good at all. I was just coming up with ideas."

"For your tattoo?" Harry nodded and waited while she perused the rudimentary drawings. Laying the parchment on the table, Ginny tapped one near the bottom. "I like this one."

Harry smiled at the one she'd chosen. He'd liked that one the best as well. It was a profile picture of a howling wolf's head and neck, drawn by using simple branching, flowing lines. Inside the wolf, melding with the lines were the head and neck of a stag and doe – not hidden, but complementary to the wolf drawing.

"That's my favorite, too. Dad was an Animagus and his form was a stag. Uncle Remus told me that Mum's Patronus was a doe."

"It's perfect, then," Ginny said with a small smile. "Where do you think you want it?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I don't want it to be large or anything. It's sort of a private one, I suppose, so somewhere not as readily visible."

"The chest would probably be a good place, then," Chris suggested. "It's a common place to put one, no one would see it unless you showed it to them, while still allowing you to see it. The back shoulder is also a common place, but you wouldn't be able to see it there."

Harry gave it some thought then nodded. "I like that idea." He raised a hand to the left side of his chest. "Maybe here. What do you think, Ginny?"

He waited patiently as she studied him a moment. Her full smile told him all he needed to know. Her words confirmed it. "I think it would be brilliant, Harry." Ginny then grew a bit shy and pointed to the last picture on the parchment. "What's this one?"

Harry blushed again. He'd forgotten about that one. "Well, er, I was thinking that I'd, you know, maybe get one for us."

"Really?" Ginny looked at him in astonishment. "You want to get one for us?"

Grinning shyly, Harry nodded. "Yeah, I do. I want this one to be visible, though. I want everyone to know that I belong to you." Again, he shrugged. "The added bonus is that, maybe, they won't notice the ones on my neck."

" _Her Beast_ ," Ginny recited. She looked up at Harry. "Are those flower petals under the word _Beast_?"

"Yeah. They're supposed to be rose petals. You know, like the magical rose in _Beauty and the Beast_? The musical we saw?"

Harry squirmed a bit in his seat, unsure what Ginny's reaction would be. Would she like it? Would she not? Maybe she would prefer him not to be marked up. Would she admit it if she didn't want him to get it? If she did say that she didn't want him to get either one of them, what would he do? He felt strongly about getting them, to honor his parents and Uncle Remus, as well as declaring his attachment to Ginny. Granted, the rings he and Ginny wore made that declaration, but rings could be lost or taken. This was something he really wanted to do, and he hoped she could understand that. He needn't have worried.

Ginny threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "That's brilliant, too, Harry. And so incredibly sweet. I love it. I almost wish I was getting one."

When Ginny returned to her seat, Harry said, "You could. Sirius would go along with it."

Ginny shook her head sadly. "My parents wouldn't like it, especially Mum. You think _I_ have a temper? You've not heard Mum when she's riled. That time at Christmas was nothing compared to how she is when she really gets going."

The mood turned somber at the mention of Ginny's mother. Harry wished some sign of Ginny's mother and brothers had been found, anything to point to the fact that they were at least still alive. Reaching for her hand, he gave it a comforting squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I hadn't intended to bring that up."

"I know, Harry. It's okay. I'm worried about them, of course, but I can't dwell on it. I have to believe that they'll be okay."

As the three of them turned back to their studies, Harry's mind wandered, visualizing Ginny with a tattoo that corresponded with his, declaring to the world that she was taken. The more he thought about it, the more it appealed to him. Several times, he started to ask her what design she'd get if she could get one, but was afraid to push it.

After debating with himself for several minutes, he finally reminded Ginny of something she'd told him. "Didn't you say we should live how _we_ want to, rather than how others think we should?"

"Harry -"

"I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have anything. Forget I said it."

It surprised Harry when Ginny placed a hand on his arm. "No, you're right, Harry. If Sirius agrees, since he's my current guardian, then I should be able to get it if I want it. Where are you thinking about putting this one?" Ginny asked.

Again, Chris piped up with a suggestion. "If you're wanting visibility, I'd say the arm or lower leg, though on the leg it would only be visible when you're wearing shorts."

Harry studied his right arm, currently uncovered with his uniform shirt sleeve rolled up to his elbow. "Maybe here," he said, running a finger over the top of his arm in the area just above his wrist. "Or the same place on the other arm. I'm not sure."

"I like that idea," Ginny said, nodding her head, studying the places Harry had indicated. "It would be easy to see or show."

"Any idea what you might want, Ginny, if you were to get one?"

Ginny looked at Harry a moment, slid the parchment full of drawings close to her again, and began to draw underneath the one Harry had drawn to symbolize them. Harry watched, then beamed. _His Beauty_ , it said, with what was supposed to be a rose between the words, the first part of the word _Beauty_ being cupped by the flower head and leaves. Finished, Ginny slid the parchment back.

"It's perfect, Ginny," Harry told her.

"Well, I'm sure whoever actually does the tattoo can draw it better, but that's what I'd get, I think."

"I like it. I'll talk to Sirius about getting them as soon as I see him."

0000

As Ginny, Harry, and Chris sat waiting on the front porch for Cassi, their special instructor, early Sunday morning in late October, Ginny's gaze wandered down to her left hand where it rested between both of Harry's, their fingers laced together. Currently, Harry was absently tracing the words and rose inked into her skin, arching across the top of her arm just above her wrist, with the thumb of his other hand. She still couldn't believe she'd actually done it, even three days later. However, seeing it there – and the other half on Harry's left arm – filled her with immense satisfaction. Considering its location, nothing about the marking was large, but it was still big enough to be noticed and easily read.

Ever since she and Harry had talked about the secret he'd kept the boy at the restaurant from mentioning, Ginny felt emotionally closer to Harry than ever. She saw their tattoos as outward expressions of that closeness. Ginny smiled to herself. The way their hands were positioned, the tattoos formed a single line, completing the phrase. She felt like giggling. Ever since they'd been tattooed, Harry had paid hers special attention, always running a finger or thumb over it, acting much like he did with her hair.

Dragging her gaze from their hands, she looked up to see Harry's expression. He seemed far away. "Alright, Harry?" Ginny asked, concern lacing her voice. "How are you feeling?"

"The full moon was four days ago, Ginny. I'm feeling fine." Her eyebrows rose at that, forcing Harry to edit his statement. "Much better than I was. I'll _be_ fine."

With a gentle smile, Ginny acknowledged, "I know. I just can't help worrying about you."

Leaning over, Harry kissed Ginny's cheek. "I know, and I thank you for it."

"Any news on that potion, Harry?"

Turning to his other side, Harry said, "Mr. Philter just began brewing it, so it'll be a while yet. I'm really hoping it works, but I also know that it'll be a lot of trial and error. The last time I tried it, it seemed sensitive to a person's age or build." Harry laughed. "I'll just have to be patient."

At that moment, Cassi arrived. The three students stood and joined her at their usual training spot. "Okay, you three," she addressed them, "you've been doing well with the other spells I've taught you. Now, I'm going to teach you how to block those spells while on the move. What I'm going to teach you is an old variation of the Shield Charm. It's incantation is _Protego Mobilus_. Now, a regular Shield Charm will work against the spells I've taught you, but this one is special as this shield envelops you and will move with you. The drawback is that it takes a lot of concentration to maintain it, leaving you unable to go on the offensive, and it's rather draining."

"Is that why it's not in use anymore?" Ginny asked.

"Yes and no. When the Wizarding population began to be attacked by those who feared our abilities, some grew complacent in their abilities to fend off such attacks, therefore, saw no reason to move around. Subsequently, in their minds, there was no longer a use for a mobile shield."

"Well, that's just stupid," Harry retorted. "What about attacks from each other? Surely, the shield would have been useful then."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? But no, during these 'trials', as they were called, the Wizarding community banded together against its common enemy. Believe it or not, there were very few disagreements at that time." Cassi had the three teens spread out, with several feet between them. "Now, history lesson over for the moment. The wand movement is simple. As you cast the spell, starting with your wand tip at your head, trace it down your body like so."

She demonstrated the motion, finishing with a quick flick outward. Ginny saw the shimmer of a bubble form around Cassi before it faded away, only to become vaguely visible as Cassi moved around. Ginny worried she wouldn't have enough power to fuel the shield. She had no doubt Harry would manage. She'd already seen him perform spells that were supposedly beyond his level. Ginny was also fairly certain Chris was strong enough as well. He may not have picked up their normal spells for school as quickly as Harry, but he definitely wasn't under-powered.

"Ginny, please try to cast the Shield Charm that I've shown you."

Ginny blushed, thoroughly embarrassed to have been caught not paying attention. She looked over at the boys and found Harry watching her quizzically. The tell-tale shimmer around him told her he'd successfully cast the spell. Bracing herself for failure, Ginny raised her wand to her head, then perfectly mimicked the necessary motion while speaking the incantation. To her absolute surprise, a protective bubble formed around her.

"Afraid you wouldn't be able to do it?" Cassi asked, amused. "Don't sell yourself short, Ginny. Size is no indication of power."

Ginny's cheeks heated again, but she smiled. "My brothers, Fred and George, say that all the time."

"Well, then, you should listen to them." Noticing the boys' shields had dropped, she nodded at them. "It isn't as easy as you thought, is it? I think we'll practice holding the shield as long as possible. Cast it, then move around. It's really the only way to get a feel for how much power and concentration it will take to sustain it."

By the time they'd finished for the day, Ginny felt tired. She couldn't believe how taxing that shield was! After a quick shower, she plopped herself onto the sofa next to Harry, who had just returned from his own shower. Leaning into his side, she dropped her head onto his shoulder, barely suppressing a yawn. She smiled tiredly when she felt his arm wrap around her and pulled her closer.

"It's a good thing it's Sunday," Chris said through a yawn. "I don't know that I'd make it to class otherwise."

Ginny couldn't have agreed more. Snuggling into Harry's side, she let her consciousness drift, sounds of the commons area fading into background. She'd nearly fallen asleep when she was suddenly jostled. Looking up to see what was happening, she saw that Harry wasn't looking at her. Following his line of sight, she spied Sirius in Miss Lena's office. They appeared to be discussing something important. As she watched, Sirius stepped out of the office, looked right at her and Harry, and motioned them over.

Energy suddenly filling her, Ginny jumped up, helped Harry to his feet, then led him across the room. "What's going on?" she asked once they had joined Sirius.

"Harry, Ginny," Miss Lena greeted them solemnly, "please sit down."

Ginny, her gaze dancing between the two adults, had the feeling she wasn't going to like what was about to be said. Her hand still in Harry's, he led her to the chairs, taking the one on the right for himself. Gripping tightly to Harry's hand, she waited to hear what Miss Lena and Sirius had to say.

"As you both are aware, the Aurors have been unsuccessful at finding any clues to Ginny's mother and brothers' disappearances. Sirius and I have been working on discovering the school here in the States that was slated to participate in the Tournament. It took some doing, but we finally did. Fortunately for us, it didn't take much convincing to let us take their place."

"What we're saying, kiddo, is that you'll be entering and competing in this Tournament."

Even though she'd known it was a likelihood, the news still was a shock. Her breath froze in her lungs as fear for Harry churned in her stomach. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she fought them. Now was not the time to break down. She needed to be strong for Harry, to help him through the upcoming nightmare of a competition. Turning in Harry's direction, she saw he wore an expression of fierce determination. Ginny wondered how he could be so calm about it, then decided he'd probably never let himself believe her mum and brothers would be found, therefore had actually expected to be entering. It was the only thing that made sense to her. She squeezed his hand, offering her support and what comfort she could. In return, he gave her a small smile and nod of his head.

"This is how it all will work. The one deciding the champions will be Charmed to prevent cheating. In other words, a person cannot write someone else's name on a piece of parchment and turn it in. I'll talk to a few students here to see if they would be willing to participate in a little deception. The few I pick will write each other's names down and turn them in, therefore eliminating themselves from the possible candidates from our school, leaving you since you'll have written your own name."

"What if something goes wrong? What if the judge can't tell who had been honest and who hadn't? What happens if my name _doesn't_ get chosen?"

Sirius rubbed his chin in thought a few moments before suggesting, "I suppose Harry could be the only one to actually enter from this school. The judge wouldn't have a choice but to pick him."

"That's definitely an idea," Miss Lena agreed. "We'll talk it over with the chosen delegates and see what they'd prefer. In the meantime, Harry, you'll be excused from any lengthy assignments unless it's absolutely necessary for your understanding of the lesson. You will be allowed to focus more on strategies and spells that will help you through the tasks that are to come." Miss Lena's expression turned mischievous. "While we as staff members aren't allowed to help you, you may find some of your upcoming lessons very valuable, and would do well to learn as much as you can."

"Thanks, Miss Lena. With any luck, the spells Chris, Ginny, and I have been learning this past month will help."

"I imagine they might," Miss Lena replied with a grin. "What's more, she's not considered staff as Sirius is the one who hired her. Sirius, you might see if you can keep her on for a while longer."

"I do believe I will. I can help you, too, Harry." He gave a bark of laughter. "With Chris, Ginny, myself, Cassi, and – in their own way – your teachers helping you, you'll have all the assistance you could possibly need, and the other champions will have to work hard if they want to beat you."

Ginny felt Harry relax and knew he felt better about the entire thing. He proved it when he laughed. "Imagine everyone's surprise when I show up at Hogwarts for the selection of the champions."

" _We,_ Harry," Ginny stated unequivocally. "When _we_ show up at Hogwarts. You're not going without me. We're in this together, just as we are in everything else. I'm going with you for every task, too." Ginny turned her determined gaze to Miss Lena, as if daring her Headmistress to contradict her.

Miss Lena held up her hands in supplication. "Don't worry, child. I'm certain that can be arranged. It would be good for Harry to have his best source of support with him." To Harry, she asked, "If it could be arranged, and if he was interested, would you like Chris to go along with you?"

Ginny found Harry's surprise somewhat amusing. He still had a hard time believing people wanted to be with him or cared about him, even after the last year. Squeezing his hand, she drew his gaze. Smiling at him, she encouraged him to agree. It would be good for him to have strong support through it all, not that Hermione, Ron, and Neville wouldn't support him, of course. One could never have too much support.

"Er, yeah, sure," Harry eventually answered the Headmistress. "If he wants to, sure. Why not?"

"Good. Then let me talk to Chris and some other students. Don't worry. It'll all work out. On Thursday, we'll be traveling to Hogwarts for the Champion Selection. The selections will take place on Monday and we'll return afterwards."

Ginny did some calculations and realized Monday was the anniversary of the deaths of Harry's parents, the day he'd always gone to visit their graves. Surely, they'd allow him the time to do so again. Harry's grip tightened on her hand, and she realized Harry was well aware of what day Monday was. She glanced in his direction. All color that he'd had was gone. Giving his hand a comforting squeeze, she turned to Sirius, to insist Harry have the time to go to the cemetery that day, but something in his expression kept her silent. A memory bubbled up to the surface of her mind. Remus had once said that Sirius knew Harry visited his parents' graves on that day, but had never visited himself. Ginny hoped Sirius would be willing to take Harry.

"Thanks, Miss Lena," Harry said, his voice a bit strained.

"You're quite welcome, Harry, though there's no reason to thank me. You're the one taking on all the risks. You're the one who should be thanked. Just know that I'll do whatever I can to help you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some conversations to get to."

Ginny stood, waited while Harry gained his feet, then led him back to the commons area to the sofa they'd been sitting on. Turning, she pushed Harry onto it before cuddling up to his side. Neither of them said anything when Miss Lena called Chris into her office. After a moment of tense silence, Ginny looked up at her boyfriend. He seemed lost in thought.

"What are you thinking?" she asked softly.

"Nothing much. Just going over spells in my head, trying to decide if there's a particular family of spells I should concentrate on learning."

"Oh." His reply filled Ginny with incredible guilt and sadness. Harry shouldn't be forced to put his life on the line for her family. Her throat began to close up with unshed tears. She just barely managed to whisper, "I'm so sorry, Harry." Then, she buried her face into his neck.

"Sorry? Ginny, you have nothing to be sorry for." With what seemed to be minimal effort on his part, Ginny felt herself moved so that she sat across his lap, one arm draping over her and the other gently running through her hair. "It'll be okay, Ginny," he said to her softly. "Nothing will happen to me. I have a destiny to fulfill, remember? I don't see Fate giving that to me and then allowing me to be killed in some Tournament."

Ginny kept her face buried against Harry's neck as her tears continued to fall. "You shouldn't be forced to risk your life for my family. They wouldn't want you to."

"What about what I want? Ginny, I _want_ to do this. They're important to you, and therefore, important to me. They saw past what I am to _who_ I am, despite the less than desirable way they discovered my secret, and acted normally around me."

Ginny made a tearful disagreeing sound. "Not Charlie. He's been a git."

"Even Charlie," Harry insisted. "He's acted as any older brother would."

"Don't make excuses for my brother, Harry," Ginny rebutted, a little heat in her voice. "He refused to see what was right in front of him, refused to listen to either of us. He could stay wherever he's at for all I care."

"You don't mean that; I know you don't."

Instantly contrite, Ginny sniffled some more, snuggling further into Harry's arms. "No, I don't. I will, however, hex him if he so much as looks at us funny whenever I see him again."

"There's my girl," Harry praised softly.

Ginny smiled despite her sorrow, then sighed when she felt the kiss Harry placed on her head. Feeling calmer and somewhat drowsy, she returned the favor, placing a lingering kiss against Harry's neck. Sliding her left hand up his chest and beyond to play with the hair at his nape, Ginny sighed again, this time in contentment. She felt like giggling when she felt the mostly suppressed shudder that went through him, a reaction he always seemed to have when she played with his hair in that particular spot.

"Thanks, Harry," Ginny whispered.

"No need to thank me. I'd be a terrible boyfriend if I couldn't make you feel at least a little better."

"You're the best, Harry."

"How would you know? Had many boyfriends before me?"

Ginny actually did giggle then. She loved it when Harry was playful, which had been a lot more often once they'd left England. She'd come to recognize it as a sign of when he felt absolutely comfortable and relaxed, something she took great pride in knowing he felt he could be that way with her.

"Well," she said, drawing out the word, "you're not the first boy I've kissed."

Harry made a growling sound in his throat. "Don't remind me."

Even though his tone was light, there was a bit of an edge to it. Sitting up so that she could look into Harry's gorgeous green eyes, she said, "You're infinitely more skilled in that area than he was."

Harry snorted. "Considering his age, I should hope so. That doesn't really make me feel better, though. I could still be terrible at it and you wouldn't know it."

Leaning close so she could whisper in his ear, she told him, "Considering how I feel when you kiss me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Ginny delighted in the blush that stained Harry's cheeks despite the smug smile he wore. Their attention was diverted from each other when Chris returned to the chair he'd previously occupied.

"Of course I'd go with you, Harry," Chris said. "Do you really think I'd let you go back to Hogwarts without me? I told you I wanted to help you, and that includes lending support. I'm actually interested in seeing another school. The castle itself sounded awesome."

"It is," Ginny agreed, "with all its secret passageways. I think I got lost a hundred times that first week I was there."

"Thanks, Chris. I appreciate you wanting to go with me. And your parents are okay with you going?"

"Absolutely! Miss Lena contacted them through the Floo. They think it's a great learning experience for me, to see how other cultures do things."

"Good."

As the three of them sat around talking, Ginny suddenly remembered the Herbology project she was supposed to be helping her friends with. "Oh, Harry, I have to go to the library. I promised Amelie and Raven that I'd help them this morning. Mr. Hadley has the class divided into groups for projects. We're supposed to choose two magical plants – or even a magical and Muggle plant – that we'd cross-breed and tell what characteristics the new one would have, including why we chose those plants. I should go."

"Of course, Ginny. Go. Have fun."

Ginny giggled. "Not likely, but who knows? It might turn out to be interesting. We're not really cross-breeding them. Neville would probably be disappointed at that."

Harry laughed. "Probably so. Okay, see you at lunch, then."

Ginny agreed to that, kissed Harry, bid Chris goodbye, then dashed to her room for her Herbology text, hoping to find her roommates there. The room was empty. Grabbing her text, some parchment, quill, and ink, she rushed back through the commons area, darted through the back door, and sprinted toward the library, hoping her friends were there.

Finding them on the second floor buried in various Herbology books, Ginny sat at their table. "I'm so sorry for not being here earlier."

Raven looked up from the notes she was taking to smile in Ginny's direction. "Don't worry about it, Ginny. Amelie and I saw you earlier. You looked as if you needed to be exactly where you were." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "News about your mom and brothers?"

"No, not really. Just news that I had a feeling was coming. It still hit me kind of hard."

Amelie took Ginny into a one-armed hug. "We understand. It's hard to think of other things when your loved ones are in danger."

Ginny nodded ruefully. "I couldn't agree more." Taking a deep breath, Ginny focused on the task at hand. "So, what have you done so far, and what can I do?"

0000

The next few days passed quickly. Harry nearly laughed when he realized what they were to be studying in his classes. In Charms class on Monday morning, they'd learned how to conjure holographic images. The more thought and power put into it, the more realistic the image appeared. In Potions class that afternoon, Mr. Philter had them making simple healing salves, ones that could easily be made if they were lost somewhere and had some scratches, scrapes, small puncture wounds, or even minor burns. In Transfiguration, they practiced changing leaves into jars. For those who had successfully managed that, they had to take it another step and turn the jar into a canteen.

Tuesday saw his Herbology class learning to identify edible plants in the wild, what parts of the plants could be eaten, and how best to prepare them. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, they began working on the Patronus Charm, Miss Ward saying it was never too early to attempt to learn it, and that even a wisp of silver could buy the person enough time to escape. Harry had definitely been intrigued with that one and wondered if he'd be able to actually conjure a corporeal Patronus. He also wondered what form it would take if he _could_ conjure one. For History of Magic, he and Chris had to act out their scenario of Amarillo Lestoat's capture, for which they earned Outstandings.

In Care of Magical Creatures on Wednesday, they studied Ashwinders. Harry thought it would be fun to actually converse with the one he was supposed to be studying but held back, uncertain how everyone would react. In Charms class, they continued with the holographic practice. For Ancient Runes, they simply studied individual runes and worked on translating Runic passages.

Now it was early Thursday morning and Harry was sitting in the commons area with Chris, magically expanded overnight bags stuffed with clothes and toiletries for the next four days, as well as the school supplies they'd need for Friday and Monday, as it was required of them to attend classes. He and Ginny had decided to surprise Hermione, Ron, and Neville so they hadn't mentioned their upcoming appearance at Hogwarts. Harry grinned just thinking about the expressions he was likely to see. No doubt there would be a lot of finger pointing and whispers, too.

Harry looked around him. Two seventh year boys stood chatting not far away, their own bags at their feet. One of them noticed Harry's gaze and nodded to him. Harry returned the gesture. From what he understood, the two of them had volunteered to be part of the "decoy" party. They had actually seemed excited at the prospect of going, the few times he had talked to them. They had asked about what they should expect, what to pack as far as weather, etc.

From the girls' corridor came Ginny and three seventh years, bags on their shoulders, Amelie, and Raven. Harry imagined Ginny's roommates were there to say goodbye. As he and the others were considered representatives of Magnolia House, they were each dressed in their uniforms. Harry stood and reached out a hand as Ginny drew close to him. He kissed her cheek.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, staring into her bright brown eyes.

She answered him with a smile. "I am. It'll be good to see everyone again, to actually be there for a bit." Ginny giggled. "I can't wait to see their faces."

Amused, Harry laughed with her. "My thoughts exactly."

At that moment, Sirius and Miss Lena walked out of the Headmistress's office, followed by Alex. Miss Lena had a few words with Miss Green and Mr. Becker. Harry assumed they would be in charge while Miss Lena was gone. When it was obvious his Headmistress and her husband were going to say goodbye in a personal way, Harry looked away, his cheeks prickling with heat. He hadn't been around very many adults who openly showed affection for one another, so the display embarrassed him a little.

Sirius continued walking toward them with a length of rope in his hand. "Everyone gather around and get a hand on this. It'll be activating shortly. Make sure you have your bags as there won't be any returning until Monday." Once everyone had complied, he continued his instructions. "Now, as this is an international Portkey, it will take a little longer than your normal one, so don't be surprised when we don't arrive as quickly as usual."

Miss Lena joined them, smiled at them all, then wrapped a finger around the rope. "I know I don't have to say this, but I expect your best behaviors while we're there. Their ways of doing things will likely be different from ours. That doesn't make them wrong. Think of it as not just representing our school, but our country as well. Lastly, thank you to those who volunteered to go. Your willingness is greatly appreciated."

Ginny bid her friends a quick goodbye. That was all she managed before the Portkey activated. Harry suddenly found himself nervous to be going back to Hogwarts, not due to the Tournament, but to the fact he'd be stared at and whispered about once again. Mentally sighing, he knew he'd simply have to endure it as there was nothing he could do about it.

When his feet hit the earth, Harry stumbled a bit but kept his feet. On either side of him, Ginny and Chris also lost their balance a bit. As Miss Lena stepped up to greet Professor Dumbledore, Harry heard the buzzing whispers that repeated his and Ginny's names. Looking around, he found they'd landed inside the winged boar gate, not far from the castle itself. He looked up at the imposing building and, to his surprise, his anxiety faded away. The thought foremost in his mind was that he had returned to the school his parents had attended.

"Wow. It really is a castle."

Harry looked over his shoulder at Chris and smiled. Chris was currently staring up at the castle's towers, his mouth agape, eyes wide. "I told you it was," Harry said with amusement.

"I know, but ..."

That seemed to be the others' sentiments, too, as they stared up at the building before them. They were in for a bit of a shock. Harry's attention shifted from his fellow students when he felt the rope being pulled from his hand. Sirius was slowly coiling the rope to a more manageable length. Once it was coiled, Sirius shrunk it and slipped it into his pocket.

Ginny grabbed his arm, then pointed off to her left. "Harry, look!"

Looking in that direction, he quickly found what she was pointing at – or rather _who_ she was pointing at. Hermione stood looking at his group with delight on her face. He could practically see the questions for them whizzing through her mind. Beside her, Ron stood, mouth agape, obviously shocked to see them. On Hermione's other side stood Neville, wide smile on his face, his hand raised in greeting. Grinning, Harry returned the gesture.

Miss Lena returned from her chat with Dumbledore and addressed the group. "We've been assigned our rooms. Harry, Ginny, you'll be staying in Gryffindor tower since you were there last year. Chris, you'll be with them." She turned to the older girls. "You three will be in Ravenclaw tower. Those students have blue on their uniforms. I'm told a Prefect, a student leader, will take you there." To the older boys, she said, "You two will be in the Hufflepuff dorms. Those students have yellow on their uniforms. One of their Prefects will show you where you need to go." Lastly, she addressed Sirius. "I'm told you're allowed to take the quarters you had before. The current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has chosen other quarters."

Sirius nodded his understanding. "Thank you."

Miss Lena addressed her students again. "Let's go mingle with our host school, shall we?"

 **AN:** When I had last updated, I was working on chapter 19. Well, it wasn't flowing well, so I took time to read some stories and rest my brain. Now, a month later, I'm getting back to the chapter and it's flowing much better. With any luck, it won't take more than my usual amount of time and then I can update again. Just letting you know in case it does take longer than normal. Rest assured, I AM back to writing it now and have written 4 pages in one afternoon. It doesn't sound like much but when I first started the chapter, I was only getting a sentence or two here and there, so yeah, progress!


	16. Dare to be Happy

**_One Must Dare to be Happy_ **

**- _Gertrude Stein_**

As soon as they were within a short distance of the Hogwarts students, Harry found himself nearly knocked over by a bushy-haired missile.

"Harry! It's so good to see you!" Hermione hugged him tightly, then let go to hug Ginny. "You, too, Ginny!" She captured an arm of each of her friends. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

Ginny laughed. "We wanted to surprise you. We couldn't wait to see your expressions, and it was definitely worth it."

Harry nodded, grinning madly. "Definitely worth it." Taking a step backward, Harry maneuvered to make it easier to make his introductions. "Chris, this is my friend Hermione. Hermione, this is Chris. He's one of my dorm mates and a very good friend."

To Harry's surprise, Chris smiled bashfully at Hermione. "Hi. That's an unusual name."

Even more curious was the slight color in Hermione's cheeks and her self-conscious attitude. "My parents are fans of Shakespeare. It's from _The Winter's Tale_. It's nice to meet you. Harry's talked about you a lot."

"Both he and Ginny have talked about you a lot, too."

The four of them stood there a moment before Hermione seemed to snap out of whatever it was that had her acting so unlike herself. "Well, it'll be lunchtime soon. Where are you three staying?"

"Gryffindor Tower, of course," Ginny quipped.

"Oh, good! There was an extra bed in my dorm when I woke up this morning. I guess you'll be the one staying there."

"Really? In your dorm? Brilliant!"

Harry began walking towards Ron and Neville, the others following behind. "Hi, Ron, Neville," he greeted them once he'd reached them.

"Harry, it's nice to see you again," Neville said, embracing Harry in a one-armed, manly hug. "I definitely wasn't prepared to see you and Ginny. Nice one."

"Harry, welcome back." Ron held out his hand, which Harry took.

"Ron, I'm really sorry about your mum and brothers."

Somberly, Ron nodded. "They'll be found. I just have to keep believing that."

"Ron!" Ginny threw herself into her brother's arms. Harry could hear her sniffling and his heart broke.

"They'll be found, Ginny," Ron said to his sister, "and they'll be okay. We just have to believe that."

Ginny took a step back and hastily wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I know. I guess I just needed to hear it."

After a somewhat awkward silence, Harry introduced Chris to his other Hogwarts friends. "We'll all be in Gryffindor while we're here."

"Of course you are," Ron said with a smile, obviously trying to hide his discomfort with his emotional display. "That's where you were last year, so naturally, that's where you are again."

"Chris, if you have any questions about Herbology," Harry advised, "now is the time to ask them. Neville knows more about that subject than probably any other student. Unless you're really good at Wizard's Chess, don't play with Ron." Harry grinned at Ron's indignant exclamation. "And unless you _really_ want to know all there is to know about Hogwarts and its history, don't ask Hermione anything." Harry laughed when Hermione smacked his arm in retribution. "Come on, let's get our bags put away."

Hermione peppered them with questions as they climbed the stairs to the seventh floor. Yes, they used numbered year designations for the students, too. Yes, the school really was as small as it seemed. Yes, the teachers called them by their first names. Yes, the Headmistress did, indeed, say to call her Miss Lena. The list went on and on. Harry didn't know which was more amusing: Hermione's rapid-fire questions and Chris' equally quick answers or Chris' gawking at random parts of the castle.

It took longer than usual due to Chris stopping and inspecting tapestries and paintings, remarking on how Victorian everything was, but eventually the six of them stood in front of the painting of the Fat Lady, who so flamboyantly guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. After enduring the painting's pointed comments regarding his and Ginny's return to Hogwarts, she swung inward once Hermione had given the password, and they stepped inside.

"So, this is Gryffindor's commons area," Chris said, turning a slow circle to take in the murals on the walls, the hearth, and the furniture.

"Our common room, yes," Hermione corrected him, sounding like a Prefect. "And up that way is the staircase leading to the boys' dormitories."

Chris turned to see two arched doorways with stairs leading upward. The one Hermione was indicating was the one closest to the portrait hole. Chris nodded his acceptance. "I take that as a hint."

Harry started to say something to Hermione but noticed her blush. Curious. He hadn't known her to really blush all that much. The few times he'd seen her embarrassed enough was when being rebuked, however kindly, by a teacher. His gaze jumped between Hermione and Chris, not missing the teasing smile Chris wore. Glancing at Ginny, he could see she hadn't missed it either.

"No, I didn't mean it as such," Hermione said. "Lunch _will_ be ready soon, and I imagine we'll all be expected to be there."

"Right. Okay. Harry, lead the way."

After telling Ginny they'd be right back, Harry led Chris up to the top floor where the dorm room was – it being the same room they'd been in the previous year. Inside, two extra four poster beds sat closest to the door of the magically expanded room, waiting for occupation. Moving over, Harry let Chris choose which bed he wanted to take.

"If you don't mind, I'll take the one by the door," Chris said, a little apprehension in his voice.

"Sure." Harry figured Chris was letting him have the bed closest to his former dorm mates. He tossed his bag onto the bed. "When we get down to the Great Hall, I'll introduce you to Dean and Seamus. They're okay, friendly enough. Dean's really into football. I don't think Seamus is all that much."

"Football?" Chris dropped his bag onto his own bed. "Oh, soccer to me. Man, it's like thinking in two separate languages. I have the feeling I'm going to be hearing a lot of terms I'm not used to."

Harry couldn't keep from laughing. "I know how you feel. When we hit New York City, and all the way down to the school, it's been like language overload. Almost headache-inducing trying to figure it all out. I should have had you borrow Ginny's book. She has one that explains the differences between our English and American English. Oh well, it's not _that_ different. Come on, let's go back down."

As they descended the stairs, Chris muttered, "I thought you said it would be a bit cool. It's kind of warm to me."

"It's a bit unseasonable," Harry agreed, rolling the sleeves to his shirt and jumper up to his elbows. "Tonight, you'll be glad you dressed the way you are. Who knows about tomorrow?"

"So, is the commons room usually packed with people?"

Harry grinned at his friend's slip-up. "Depends. Some nights there were a lot of people here studying or just hanging out. Other nights, it was fairly empty. I imagine everyone is in the Great Hall right now."

"And who's the leader of Gryffindor, again?"

"Professor McGonagall is Head of Gryffindor House. I'll point her out to you. She's also Deputy Headmistress. I think you'll like her."

Back in the common room, Ginny and Hermione were already there with Ron and Neville. Ginny, apparently, had been a little too warm as well, as she'd removed her jumper. In what seemed to be a deep conversation with Hermione, facing away from him, Harry suddenly had an idea, one that had him grinning mischievously. Treading lightly, he slipped behind Ginny, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her cheek with a loud _smack_.

Ron made gagging noises, but Hermione gasped, her eyes wide as she grabbed his left arm and stared at his wrist. "Harry! What is that?"

"Oops," Harry said under his breath.

Ginny grinned up at him, her hands coming up to hook over the arm still wrapped around her shoulders. "It's okay. They would have seen them eventually anyway."

"True." Harry turned back to Hermione. Feeling cheeky, he said, "That, Hermione, is what I believe is called a tattoo." Harry chuckled at his friend's eye roll and exasperation.

"I know what it's called, Harry, but why is it on your arm? That's not the design you mentioned getting before."

"Oh, I have that one, too. It's on my chest. This one is for Ginny and me." Harry grinned when Hermione's mild irritation melted right off her face and something dreamier took its place.

"Oh, that's so sweet, Harry. Does it, er, reference your, er ..."

"You can say it, Hermione. I'm much more comfortable about it now. Yes, it does make reference to my lycanthropy. When we were in New York City, we saw this musical called _Beauty and the Beast_." Harry shrugged. "It seemed fitting."

Neville smiled at them. "I've heard of that. There was a bit of worry over it when it was discovered it talked about magic and curses. Needless to say, the panic faded when everyone realized it was a made up story." He inspected Harry's wrist. "Wicked. I'm guessing those are the rose petals from the enchanted flower."

Harry's brows rose. "You know a lot about the story."

Neville shrugged. "Like I said, it was in the Daily Prophet for several weeks. It's a nice story. And you have another tattoo on your chest?"

Harry nodded. "A wolf head in profile, howling, with stag and doe heads blended in. That's for Uncle Remus, Mum, and Dad."

"Brilliant."

"Wait a minute," Ron spoke up. "Ginny said something about us seeing _them_ eventually. Why do I get the feeling the one on your chest isn't a part of the _them_ she was talking about?"

Ginny's hands dropped from holding Harry's right arm, and she hiked up the sleeve of her left arm. "That's because I _wasn't_ referring to the one on Harry's chest."

Hermione gasped again. "Ginny! You got a tattoo!"

Ginny nodded. "I did." She put her arm against Harry's so that their tattoos were aligned. "Mine completes the phrase."

"You shouldn't have done that, Ginny," Ron griped.

Her eyes flashing with her irritation, Ginny snapped, "Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do, Ron! This was _my_ choice. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I wear it proudly. In fact ..." Ginny proceeded to roll both of her sleeves to her elbows. "Come on, let's go down to lunch."

With that, the six of them left the tower behind.

0000

After lunch – and a chat with the twins, who loved the tattoos – the sextet wandered the castle, acting as tour guides for Chris, who soaked up the information like a sponge. He kept shaking his head, marveling that anyone could remember where all the classrooms were and could get to class on time.

"I'd be so thoroughly lost, I'd probably never be found."

"You get used to it," Hermione assured him with a smile.

"Besides," Ron added, "there's all kinds of shortcuts. You quickly learn where to go if you're running late. With professors like McGonagall and Snape, you have to. It's basic self-defense."

"Harry's told me a lot about them. I can't believe you have a teacher like Snape." Disbelief colored his voice. "Miss Lena wouldn't allow that kind of behavior from a teacher. She wouldn't allow that kind of behavior from _anyone_. How do you learn what you need to learn for the tests? I'm assuming you have some kind of major tests. We have W.A.T.s, Wizarding Achievement Tests. Those are done at the end of our fifth year."

"We have O.W.L.s, Ordinary Wizarding Levels." Hermione looked anxious. "They're really important as they affect what you can go on to study."

"Hermione, don't worry about that yet. It's next year."

"But, Ron, how could I not worry? My future depends on how many O.W.L.s I receive. It's never too early to begin revising, to make sure I know what I'm supposed to know. And then, there's our N.E.W.T.s! It's all so very important."

Hoping to diffuse the tension between Hermione and Ron, Harry asked of Chris, "Do you have exams at the end of your seventh year?"

His ploy worked as Hermione abandoned her argument with Ron to hear Chris' answer and eagerly asked, "Yes, do you? I wonder if your exams are like ours."

Chris nodded. "We do have tests at the end of our seventh year. We call them G.R.E.W.S, Graduation Reviews of the Education of Wizarding Students. They're supposed to be really hard, but with the right amount of preparation, they shouldn't be too difficult."

"Thank you! Finally, someone gets it!"

Chris looked in agreement with Hermione's exclamation. "You can't expect to pass if you don't do the work."

"Exactly!"

Harry, Ginny, and Neville chuckled at the newfound camaraderie between Hermione and Chris, while Ron simply looked as if he'd just eaten a lemon. They were about to enter the library when Dumbledore stopped them.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, may I have a word, please?"

Harry glanced at Ginny. He'd expected Dumbledore to seek him out sooner or later. From the way she'd tensed, Ginny had as well. He supposed he should be grateful it was now rather than later.

"Sure, Professor," he said neutrally, tightening his grip on Ginny's hand.

Dumbledore beamed, then turned his attention to the others. "Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley will find you later. Mr. King, I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

"Thank you, sir," Chris graciously said, though he didn't appear to be in any hurry to move. Neither did any of the others.

"Let us go up to my office." Dumbledore suggested.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about, sir?"

Dumbledore's previously twinkling eyes dulled and his voice grew firm. "I do not believe our conversation is one that needs to be overheard by others."

"Why? Because you don't want to be heard asking me why I chose to not return to Hogwarts?" Anger laced Harry's voice as it began to rise, though he never shouted. "Why do you think that is? Do you think maybe it was because I didn't feel safe? Or maybe you just don't want to be heard trying to persuade me and Ginny into coming back here so that you can keep tabs on me again."

"Harry, I would really prefer we not have this conversation -"

"Good. That makes two, no, three of us," Harry declared with a quick glance at Ginny. "Ginny and I are perfectly happy with where we are now, and that's all that matters at the moment. I don't know what we'll do next year. Perhaps, if you've shown that you do have some control over the students in the school, and that you do care for their safety, then Ginny and I will talk about returning. Consider this year to be your probational year. Maybe we'll talk again in June. Now, I've ignored my friends long enough."

Without waiting for any response from Dumbledore, Harry and Ginny turned their backs on their previous Headmaster, and led the way into the library. They wandered the stacks until they found an unoccupied table. Ginny sat in Harry's lap, much to Ron's displeasure.

"Wow, Harry, that was … well, I was going to say harsh, but it was actually warranted."

Harry grinned at his bushy-haired friend, a bit surprised she wasn't telling him off for his behavior. "Thanks, Hermione. I guess I've been wanting to say that to his face for a while. You know, I'm a bit surprised you're not telling me off for not showing more respect to someone in authority. You certainly would have last year – and did on occasion, if I remember correctly."

Hermione blushed, a sheepish smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm sorry for doing that, Harry. I've learned that, sometimes, respect has to be earned. There's just no excuse for what happened to you last year."

"Thanks, Hermione. That means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, Harry. As I told Ginny, I've come to reevaluate some things about myself, things I'm working on changing. Seeing situations as either black or white is one of them. I've come to realize that different situations call for different responses and solutions."

"Wow. I'm impressed. Just don't change too much."

"Don't worry, Harry. I won't." Hermione met Ginny's gaze. "I'm surprised you didn't say anything to Professor Dumbledore."

Ginny shrugged. "Why should I when Harry said everything I would have said? He said it more civilly than I would have done."

Hermione chuckled. "I suppose." She studied her friends a moment before shaking her head. "I can't believe how weird it is to see you in colors other than Gryffindor's scarlet and gold, which is funny because, Harry, you were just here for one year. I like the colors though. They look exotic, tropical."

"That's probably why they picked the colors," Chris commented. "We are, after all, right at the ocean, though it never has looked this turquoise color that I've seen."

"And the emblem on your jumper?" Hermione inquired, pointing to the dual-lizard stitching on the left chest.

Chris explained what the symbol represented and that it was the motto of the school. "Being different, as Harry has found out, isn't a big deal at Magnolia House. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but that doesn't really seem to be the case here. I get the feeling being different makes you stand out from everyone else, making you a target for ridicule. I'm not saying everyone here is like that, but that's the overall impression I've gotten."

"Unfortunately, you're not too far off in that assessment," Hermione lamented, with Neville and Ron agreeing. "Maybe this Tournament will help change that attitude."

The group continued to chat about the differences between Hogwarts and Magnolia House. An hour or so later, Ron insisted they go down to the Quidditch pitch.

"Do you play Quidditch, Chris?"

"Nah, I was never any good at sports. Quidditch isn't as popular in the U.S. Quodpot is the preferred sport there, though we do play a little bit of Quidditch."

As they left the library under Madam Pince's watchful eye, they ran into the one person Harry had hoped they would avoid.

"What? No litter of pups following you around? What did you do? Drown them? I would have."

With unnerving quickness, a holly wand, a wand made of yew, and one crafted from cypress pointed directly into Draco Malfoy's pale face with unwavering certainty.

"What is it, Malfoy?" Harry asked, his voice calm but very serious. "Why do you feel the need to seek me out again? Just can't stay away? That's obsession, you know. You really need to learn to keep your mouth shut. Chris, Ginny, and I have learned some very interesting spells and would love to try them on someone. Keep talking and you might get the distinction of being our first test subject."

Malfoy sneered. "Got yourself another groupie, Potter? Tell me, does he know? Does your precious fan know what kind of animal you are?"

"I know about Harry's lycanthropy, yes," Chris declared, "and it doesn't bother me a bit. Just like it wouldn't bother any decent human being. From where I'm standing, Harry's not the one who's an animal."

Malfoy started to say something else but was interrupted by two voices. "What's going on here?"

"Harry?"

"Oh, hello, Professor, Miss Lena." Harry lowered his wand. "Malfoy was just welcoming us back to Hogwarts in his own special way."

"So you drew your wand?" McGonagall asked, brows lifted in skepticism.

"Just proving a point, Professor," Ginny said with a little smile.

"Yes, well, Mr. Malfoy, perhaps you should move along."

Malfoy sneered again and said something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like _pups_ to Harry. Unfortunately for the blond Slytherin, he'd been overheard.

"Mr. Malfoy, I will not tolerate that sort of language or behavior. You had been warned about propagating rumors. Fifty points from Slytherin and detention with me for the next two weeks beginning tonight after dinner."

"Yes, Professor," Malfoy said, sounding to Harry like a petulant child.

Once he'd left, Professor McGonagall turned back to the others. "I admire your restraint, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley. Ten points each to -" She stopped mid-sentence, apparently remembering he and Ginny weren't Hogwarts students any longer. "Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, take five points each for demonstrating your remarkable self-control."

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione spoke for the others.

Harry saw that Miss Lena was watching him closely so he smiled to let her know he was okay. "What do you think of Hogwarts?"

"It's fascinating, I must admit. I don't, however, believe I would ever wish to be here rather than at Magnolia House. Harry, Ginny, I hope you don't mind where you were placed for the duration of our time here. I thought you might prefer to be back with your friends."

"Oh, no, Miss Lena. Ginny and I are very happy being back in Gryffindor. Thanks."

"That's good to hear. Chris, I hope you enjoy your time here and get to know many of the students."

"The other boys in our room are really nice, Miss Lena, though one seems abnormally obsessed with soccer. Still, I think we'll get along fine."

Suppressing a grin, Miss Lena nodded once. "I'm glad that it's working out for you." To the Gryffindors, she added, "Professor McGonagall has been telling me about you three. I must admit to being a bit envious I don't have you in my school. Hermione, you could give my smartest students a run for their money. Ron, I would love to play against you in Wizard's Chess one day. Neville, if you're half as proficient in Herbology as Professors McGonagall and Sprout say that you are, you could teach our Herbology teacher a thing or two, as skilled as he is. He's had some trouble with some of our more exotic plants. Would you mind if I picked your brain some time? Maybe you could give me some tips to take back to him."

Harry couldn't help but smile at each of his friends' expressions as Miss Lena singled them out. Hermione had an interesting mix of embarrassment and pride on her face. Ron stood straight, his shoulders back, his chin up, smiling confidently. It was Neville's reaction that made Harry love Miss Lena even more. Neville appeared embarrassed, stammering out his reply, yet Harry could see the boy's slouch disappear, confidence filling his voice the more he spoke. Though Harry had not mentioned a word about Neville's lack of self-esteem, Miss Lena had seen it instantly and had said just the thing that would lift him up the most. Perhaps Professor McGonagall had said something to Miss Lena, but Harry doubted it. The strict professor wasn't the type to gossip about her students.

Ginny's hand squeezed his and he looked over at her. He could see in her expression that she was thinking along the same lines as he was. Turning his attention back to the adults, Harry noticed Professor McGonagall's expression. The corners of the normally austere professor were turned up the slightest bit, and the light of approval in her eyes gave her a much friendlier countenance.

"Professor, I never told you how thankful I am for helping keep secret Ginny's and my whereabouts. That meant a lot to both of us."

"Believe me, Mr. Potter, it was my pleasure. It was my thought then that it would do you both some good to be elsewhere, and my mind hasn't changed. As much as I enjoyed having you both here, I can see that the two of you are thriving under Headmistress Roux's care. I'm glad you are experiencing school the way it's meant to be experienced. Let me just point out that I have spoken with the Headmaster regarding the events of last year and have taken a more active role in my duties as Deputy Headmistress."

Harry knew exactly what Professor McGonagall was implying and wished he'd been there to witness it. He was certain it had been a brilliant conversation. Harry grinned. "That's good to know. Well, I think we'll finish showing Chris around. We haven't made it onto the grounds yet, and since it's actually fairly nice out, we might spend the afternoon out there."

Professor McGonagall returned his smile. "Yes, that would be wise. We're not likely to have many more days like this, if at all. Better to take advantage of it while you can. We'll see you at dinner, then."

The group continued their tour, eventually working their way down the main staircase and out the huge front doors. They wandered down to the lake, with Hermione informing Chris that Grindylows inhabited its depths. To everyone's amusement, Chris took a giant step away from the water's edge. The current and former Hogwarts students actually laughed when Chris' jaw dropped at the sudden appearance of the Giant Squid.

"You have a … In the lake, there's a …" Chris shook his head as if he was trying to clear away his disbelief. "Was that a Giant Squid I just saw?"

"It was," Hermione replied. "According to _Hogwarts, A History_ , it simply showed up in the lake one day. No one is certain exactly when, where it came from, or even how it came to be here. It's certainly not known how it's surviving since the lake isn't its natural habitat. Plus, they normally live very short lives, often no more than five years. It's a complete mystery how this one has managed all these years."

"Odd." Chris continued to watch the tentacles pop out of the water then smack the surface, creating a nice, loud _thwack_.

Neville chuckled. "There's a rumor that it's really Godric Gryffindor in his Animagus form and, a few nights each month, comes to shore to walk the grounds as himself."

Hermione crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "What rubbish! Who, in Merlin's name, would be foolish enough to believe that?"

Neville shrugged. "I'm not saying that I do, but I've heard it spread around a time or two. No one here, of course, but I've heard my Great-Uncle Algie mention it. Whenever he does, Gran just gives him this look that practically screams that he's being daft."

The group of them stayed around the lake for several minutes before Ron finally managed to drag them to the Quidditch pitch, Hermione huffing about how rude Ron was being.

"Honestly, Ronald, just because Quidditch is all you think about, that doesn't mean it's what everyone else thinks about. Besides, if you've seen one pitch, you've seen them all. Quodpot uses the same pitch that Quidditch does."

"You know about Quodpot?" Chris asked, sounding impressed.

Hermione blushed slightly. "Well, I know a little. I like reading about other cultures and, when I learned Harry and Ginny were going to America, I began reading about the country. It has a very interesting history."

Chris grinned. "I don't know about that. Seems kind of boring to me. Now, England's history is fascinating to me." He motioned back towards the school. "All the castles, and kings, and knights. _That's_ fun to read about."

Harry watched as his two friends talked, the particular way they'd laugh, that an idea suddenly occurred to him. Leaning over to whisper in Ginny's ear, he asked, "Are they … _flirting_ … with each other?"

Ginny looked up at him, smiling, then whispered back, "You're not as clueless as you used to be. Yes, I do believe they are." Then she kissed his ear.

Harry drew in a sharp breath at the feel of her lips, gooseflesh popping out on his arms as tingling shivers washed through him, reawakening the need to claim Ginny as his. The last couple of days, he'd been free of it, and he'd hoped that it wouldn't return while they were here, but apparently, he wasn't going to be so lucky. The feel of her soft hand in his, the flowery scent of her hair, the natural beauty that was Ginny Weasley pushed the need straight to _I have to get out of here_ , bypassing _I can handle it_ and _I might be in trouble_ as if they didn't exist.

Ginny took one look at him and nodded solemnly. "Go. I'll tell them you forgot to ask Miss Lena about something."

Swallowing with difficulty, Harry nodded, and managed a hoarse, "Thanks."

As he hurried off toward the castle, fists deep in his pockets, Harry heard Ginny telling the others their cover story. Shaking with the intensity of what he felt, he practically growled, angry and frustrated that he couldn't even have some time with his friends. How would he explain it if he had to keep his distance from them – or from Ginny? He supposed he'd have to think of something, because it seemed it was going to be an issue.

Deciding to forego the castle, Harry returned to the lake. Without any warning, a hand shot out from behind a tree, snagged his arm and spun him until his back was against the tree. The next thing he knew, lips were moving on his. In his heightened state, his self-control having already been precarious, Harry responded to the kiss – for only a moment. The girl's taste being wrong snapped him back to reality and he shoved her away from him.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he asked angrily of the blonde girl in front of him.

"A kiss, and Merlin, it was brilliant," the girl replied, smiling as if he was her prey and had just been caught.

"No, it wasn't."

"Oh? That's not what I _felt_. You seemed to be enjoying it to me. You did respond, after all."

Knowing he couldn't deny that he had responded, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Disgusted with himself, he glared at the Ravenclaw girl. "Stay away from me. I don't want anything to do with you. There's only one girl I want."

The girl smiled coquettishly and sidled up to him. "And apparently, she has no clue what to do with you if she leaves you in the state I found you in. She's a kid. I can help you out. _I_ know how."

Harry put distance between himself and the girl. "Er, no. Just stay away from me."

"Are you sure, Harry?" The flirty girl winked at him. "Well, we'll see. What will Ginny do when she hears about you kissing me?"

"Stay away from Ginny," Harry commanded, his voice like steel.

The girl just laughed, an annoyingly high-pitched giggle, ran a hand down his chest, then walked away. Harry, now aching to kiss Ginny, slid his hands into his hair as he clenched his jaw. How the bloody hell do these things happen to him? Why him? There were plenty of other blokes in the school. Why did she have to come after him? And why the bloody hell did he kiss her back, even briefly? That more than anything worried Harry. Was he to the point that any girl would do, now? No, surely not. As soon as he realized it wasn't Ginny, he pushed her away. Ginny was the one he wanted. The girl was just lucky, and cornered him at the worst possible moment. That's all, right? WouldGinny see it that way, though?

Harry groaned, pulling his hands from his hair to rub his eyes. He needed to talk to Ginny, but that would have to wait until he had himself well under control, which meant there was a huge likelihood of that girl, whoever she was, spreading it all around that he'd kissed her and of Ginny hearing it. Maybe Miss Lena could give him some advice as to how to proceed. Maybe Professor McGonagall could keep that girl away from him. And maybe, just maybe, he could talk to Ginny, explain what happened, before she heard some exaggerated version.

Several minutes later, his beastly side firmly controlled, Harry started back up towards the castle but stopped no more than a few steps from the tree he'd been leaning against. Ron was marching towards him, fists at his sides, and face red. They'd already heard. Hermione and Neville looked to be trying to reason with him. Ginny seemed to be yelling at Ron. Chris just watched them guardedly. As Harry waited for them, Ginny saw him and ran over to him, stopping a few feet from him,

"Harry?" she asked tentatively.

Harry hated to see the uncertainty in her eyes. Filled with self-loathing, his own eyes shut, dropping his head. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to."

"What the bloody hell, Harry?!" Ron yelled once he was within earshot. "What's this I hear about you kissing some girl?!"

Ron pulled his wand, but Neville and Hermione grabbed his arms, while Chris and Ginny jumped in front of Harry. "Now, hold on a second," Chris said, his hands out. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for what we heard. Why don't you give Harry a chance to explain himself?"

Before Ron could say anything else, Ginny added, "And really, the only person he needs to explain himself to is me, so you lot can just go away. Harry and I will catch up to you later." She looked over at Chris. "Do you mind going with them? I think they're going to need the help."

"I understand. We'll see you later."

Very aware of the fading footsteps leaving Ginny alone with him, Harry refused to look up at her. He couldn't bear to see the hurt in her eyes so it was that he actually jumped when she cupped his face and gently lifted his head to look into his eyes.

"Tell me," she said softly.

"I was walking down here and was grabbed by some girl. Before I could do anything, she was kissing me." Harry swallowed hard, but forced his next admission out. "I did kiss her back for a moment. I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to. The instant my brain caught up to the fact that it wasn't you, I shoved her away from me. I didn't mean anything by it, I swear. I'm so disgusted with myself for -"

"Hey," Ginny sharply interrupted him, "I'll not have any of that. I'll not have you disparaging my boyfriend when he's the most incredible bloke a girl could ask for."

"How can you say that after what I just did?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Harry, considering how you were feeling when you left us, I'm honestly not surprised that you responded. I talked to Miss Lena about some things, like you suggested, and she warned me that this could happen, that if it did, it in no way meant you didn't love me."

Harry shook his head. "I'm afraid, Ginny. I'm afraid I might do something I will really regret. I don't want to hurt you, hurt _us_."

Harry's eyes drifted closed and he sighed in contentment when her hands slid from his face and into his hair. They stood together a few moments when Ginny spoke. "Harry, if you're that worried, maybe we should do as Miss Lena suggested. She said it would help. It won't solve the problem entirely, because you and I both know only one thing will do that, but her suggestion would help."

Harry's eyes snapped open. "I'm not forcing you into that."

"You're not. It's something that's been on my mind a lot lately, believe me. I feel this little shiver every time you touch me. Every time you look at me, my heart beats a little faster. You have no idea what it does to me to know how much you want me in that way." Ginny took a breath and let it out slowly. "It's been building inside me, too, and it's getting harder to deal with it."

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I had no idea."

"Don't be sorry. Just know that I'm suggesting it for me as well as you, that I don't feel forced at all."

Harry contemplated all that she'd said. He couldn't deny that it thrilled him to know she had similar feelings, but should they go ahead with it? Could they really afford not to? What if it went farther the next time? What if he couldn't stop himself at all the next time? As Ginny said, only one thing would completely calm the need he felt, but they weren't ready for that. Maybe they _were_ ready for the act that would … trick … the beast inside him into thinking it was the real thing.

Harry looked deeply into Ginny's golden brown eyes and saw nothing but love in them. In that instant, his decision was made. "Alright. Miss Lena says it will help, and she would know. I really don't want to chance something else happening, something more than a kiss."

Ginny smiled up at him in such a way that brought out his own. "Okay. So, er, should we, er, now?"

Suddenly shy, Harry cleared his throat, his hands tightening on Ginny's waist. "Maybe, but where?"

"Remember that magical room? What better place than that?"

"True. What about the others? We probably shouldn't ignore them. What about Ron? He looked angry enough to cast an Unforgivable at me. What are we going to tell him?"

"It's not any of their business, and if Ron wants to push the issue, he'll get set straight really quickly."

Hand in hand, they walked back to the castle. Now that it had been decided, Harry found himself both anxious and excited over what they were about to do. What would it be like? He hoped he could control himself enough to not push things farther than they wanted. Just thinking about it was stirring the need again. Unfortunately, they didn't get far before being confronted again. Fred and George were standing just outside the main doors, and Harry knew they were waiting for him.

Fred looked them over, then said, "Worked things through, have you?"

"Yes, we have," Ginny answered. "That girl kissed Harry, threw herself at him quite literally. Harry told me he shoved her away, so he and I are good. Now, if you'll excuse us ..."

"Sure. Just know that people are talking. You'll probably hear it, will probably be stared at. Just wanted you to know."

"Thanks for telling us."

Harry followed Ginny into the castle, his mind again on more pleasant matters. As George had pointed out, girls whispered feverishly whenever he and Ginny passed. Harry wanted to apologize to Ginny for, yet again, making her the topic of gossip, and she seemed to know it because she kept walking, giving his hand a squeeze every time they encountered the gossipers.

On the fourth floor, their progress was hindered again, this time by Miss Lena. "Harry? Ginny? Is everything alright? I'm hearing some unpleasant things, something about you kissing another girl? Does this have to do with what we talked about before?"

Harry couldn't bring himself to say anything regardless of the fact that his Headmistress was the one to suggest the very thing he and Ginny were going to do. Ginny, however, had no such problem.

"Oh, yes, so we've heard," she said scornfully. "People seem to have very boring lives." Then, Ginny smiled. "We're okay. In fact, we're getting ready to -"

"Ginny!" Harry begged her not to say more, his face aflame.

Miss Lena's gaze bounded from Ginny to Harry and back again. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Are you certain about this?"

"With what's already happened, Harry and I have decided that, yes, we're ready to follow through with the suggestion you made."

Miss Lena looked around them to make sure they were still alone. "Do you have somewhere to go?" Ginny nodded. "Okay, then. Be careful. The students from the third school should be arriving any time. Professor McGonagall told me they would ring the bells when it's time to greet them."

Harry and Ginny bid their Headmistress goodbye and continued on. A few times they were stopped by other Hogwarts students asking them what it was like to go to school somewhere else. Harry, somewhat impatiently, answered their questions. They saw their current schoolmates and had to stop and chat with them a few minutes. By this time, Harry let Ginny do all the talking for fear of what might come out of his mouth.

Eventually, they made it to the seventh floor. Ginny had just activated the room when the bells began to clang. Harry looked at Ginny, then at the door behind her, and groaned, lightly banging his head against the wall behind him. It figured.

"We should go down," Ginny said, and Harry could tell she was just as disappointed as he was.

Harry ran his hands over his face. "Yeah, I suppose. Just give me a minute."

On their walk up, he'd let his control slip in anticipation of what was going to come. Now, he had to reign it back in, and it actually hurt, physically, to do so. After a few minutes, he managed. Giving Ginny a somewhat pained grin, he took her hand.

"Let's go see who my competitors may be."

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry? You look as if you're hurting."

"I'll be fine, Ginny. I promise. Now, we should go."

Ginny didn't look as if she believed him, but she didn't say anything more, for which Harry was thankful. Each step he took, the beast inside him complained loudly. By the time they'd reached the front of the castle where all the students were gathered – those from Hogwarts forming two welcoming lines leading up towards the castle and to the Magnolia House students – watching the lake, his chest felt as if it had been shredded on the inside.

"Oh, good! You're here," Miss Lena greeted them, waving them over to the rest of his schoolmates. "You need to stand here with us for this. Then, you may return to your friends." Leaning close, she whispered, "I'm sorry your plans were interrupted. Are you alright, Harry?"

Chris stepped over to Ginny's other side, looking Harry over. "You certainly don't look very good."

"I'm fine – or I will be." Harry didn't elaborate and neither Chris nor Miss Lena pressed him further.

No more than five seconds later, a boat popped into existence on the lake, one that had a distinctly Asian flare. One large, leaf-shaped sail stood unfurled on the tallest mast. A slightly shorter one was being furled as they watched, as was a much shorter sail in the back of the boat. The wooden hull stood high out of the water with the bow sitting lower than the aft. Oars faded from the sides of the boat as it glided to a stop.

Dumbledore conjured a long pier, complete with steps for those disembarking. It wasn't until they'd reached the shore of the lake that Harry could tell there were eight students – an equal number of boys and girls – and their Headmaster. As the group drew closer, Harry could see they all wore elaborate red clothing with gold stitching. The boys wore an ankle-length silk robe with long sleeves that were a little wider than normal sleeves, with a short, mandarin collar. Over the robes, they wore red silk waistcoats elaborately embroidered in gold. Frog buttons down the front held the waistcoats closed. On their feet were black shoes. The Headmaster's clothing was very similar but with more detailing in the stitching.

The girls' clothing was just as extravagant. They wore ankle-length, red sleeveless dresses with a long sash tied in a small bow at the empire waist. Small decorative knots and stones hung from the sash. Over their dresses were red, very sheer, flowing wraps, worn open, with sleeves so wide they reached to at least the girls' knees. The edges were solid red with highly detailed gold stitching. Some of the girls wore their hair completely up with a hair decoration holding it in place, while others only wore half of their hair up, letting the rest fall over their shoulders. On their feet were red slipper-like shoes.

Dumbledore led them up to where Miss Lena stood and made introductions. "Headmistress Roux, this is Headmaster Jian from Lotus and Dragon, a marvelous school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in China. Headmaster Jian, may I present to you Headmistress Roux from a wonderful school in America. Louisiana, to be exact."

The two greeted each other, then Dumbledore motioned for Miss Lena to enter the castle. She motioned for her students to follow, telling them to find seats in the Great Hall. Still holding Ginny's hand, the two of them and Chris, sat at the end of Gryffindor's table. The students from China were next to enter, sitting together at another table. Then, the Hogwarts students came in, chattering wildly about the newest arrivals.

"They're pretty, aren't they?"

Was that a note of jealousy in Ginny's voice? Harry looked down at the girl beside him. Sure enough, she was staring at the Chinese girls. Looking over at them, Harry saw that all the students were definitely older than he was. While he could appreciate their exotic looks, he much preferred Ginny's fiery hair and her highly expressive golden brown eyes.

Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, "If we were somewhere else right now, you'd know exactly what I think of your looks. Right now, I want to kiss you so badly it hurts, but I don't dare to. Your Beast, remember?"

Ginny let out a contented sigh and nodded while maintaining contact. "Your Beauty. Maybe tonight?"

Harry knew exactly what she meant and swallowed, forcing himself to keep breathing normally. "Better be because I don't know how much more of this torture I can take. It's as if I'm on overload and I can't come down from it."

"Then, definitely tonight, _mon loup_. _T_ _á_ _gr_ _á_ _agam duit_."

" _I gc_ _ó_ _na_ _í_ _, mon amour_."

"Everything settled, then?" Hermione asked, taking a seat across from Harry.

"Obviously," Ginny said, as Harry sat upright and turned in the girl's direction.

"Good. The girl who kissed you, Harry, is a fifth-year tart," Hermione said scornfully, glaring at the girl in question. "I've heard several people say she's been making the rounds with all the boys. I don't know if that's true, but she's definitely been seen with several different boys in a very short amount of time."

Ron still glowered at Harry from his position on Hermione's left, something Ginny took exception to. "You can't still be upset over that kiss. He was taken off guard. If I can forgive him, then you should, though it doesn't really matter if you do or not."

"But he actually _kissed_ her," Ron protested.

"And it meant nothing!" Ginny hissed back at her brother. "If it'll shut you up, he and I have something planned that will keep it from happening again."

Harry could feel the heat trying to creep up his neck and diverted his gaze from his friends. Most of the Hogwarts students had taken seats and Dumbledore was making his way to the staff table.

"Like what? A spell or something?" Ron asked.

"Or something," Ginny quipped.

Before anything else could be said, Dumbledore began to speak. "Now that we are all here, I shall go over the rules for the wonderful, yet highly dangerous, tournament that will be taking place between Hogwarts, Magnolia House from Louisiana in America, and Lotus and Dragon from the central part of China, three vastly different cultures that shall make this tournament very interesting indeed. The spirit of the Triwizard Tournament is one of magical cooperation between schools."

Behind him, a heavily jeweled casket was placed onto the staff table. Harry wondered what it held. He didn't have long to ponder it. It was quickly opened and a heavy-looking wooden goblet was removed and placed on the table. The casket was then removed. Dumbledore stepped up to the goblet and tapped it with his wand, causing it to emit blue-white flames.

"This is the Goblet of Fire, which will be our impartial judge when it comes time for the champion selection. Entrants must have a signed permission form in order to enter. The Goblet will automatically dismiss any entrant's name who does not have this form. It has already been charmed to know who has and who has no permission to enter. Do not enter lightly, for this tournament has taken lives in the past. If you choose to enter, write your name upon a piece of parchment along with your school. You may not write a name other than your own or it will be disregarded. You have until Monday morning to decide. Monday evening will be the actual selection. Now, let our Welcome Feast begin."

Food and drink appeared on all the tables, along with plates, silverware, and goblets. Harry began filling his plate, while Ginny filled his and her goblets.

"It's all so exciting, isn't it?" Hermione asked, filling her own plate. "I can't wait to talk to the Chinese students. Their culture is so much different than ours. Harry, who do you think will be the champion from your school?"

Harry paused mid-chew. Throwing a glance at Ginny and Chris, he finished his bite of food. Harry knew this was going to come up at some point, he'd just never figured out what he was going to say. He still had no clue. Should he admit to why he was really there? Now? Or should he wait until they were alone? He was certain if he said something now that Hermione would start scolding him, then try to organize some sort of schedule to practice spells, after having made a long list of spells that could help. Then again, she'd probably do that anyway.

In the end, he went with, "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

Hermione eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing more, which, in and of itself, was surprising. Maybe she truly was working on changing. "Who would you like to see as Hogwarts' champion, Hermione?"

Hermione seemed to give his question an inordinate amount of consideration. "I overheard Angelina Johnson say that she was going to enter. I think she'd make a great champion."

"Harry," Neville spoke up after having eaten half of his dinner, "I thought Sirius would be back with you. Could he not come?"

"Oh, he'll be here. He, er, wanted to talk to Ginny and Ron's dad before coming here."

Neville glanced nervously at Ginny and Ron. "Oh, er, sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's alright, Neville," Ginny assured him. "I'm keeping a positive attitude that they'll be found and will be safe. I have to. Otherwise, I'd never smile, and I don't want that. Mum and Dad taught us to always find the silver lining in every cloud."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, it's not easy, but looking for that silver lining in everything is currently keeping my mind occupied."

For the remainder of the meal, the friends compared notes on what they were learning in their classes.

0000

Harry sat in his chair next to the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, unable to relax. He couldn't. The savage beast inside wanted loose, and it was all Harry could do to sit still. He wanted to yell at everyone to just go to bed already, but of course, he couldn't do that. Ginny knew what was going through his head if the looks she kept giving him were any indication. She'd, at first, taken his hand, but the contact just made things worse, so he'd given her hand a quick squeeze and had let it go.

After a while, the three Gryffindors went to bed. Ginny made the excuse that she and Harry were used to their own time and wouldn't be going to bed yet. Chris, perhaps sensing that Harry and Ginny needed to be alone, went upstairs as well. Another hour dragged by before the common room was finally empty.

That was when it dawned on Harry what he'd forgotten to pack. Groaning, he pushed his hands into his hair. "I can't believe I forgot them. How could I be so stupid?"

"Harry, what are you on about? And you're not stupid."

"Yes, I am, Ginny. I forgot my Cloak and my Map. We aren't going anywhere tonight."

"Oh."

Harry squeezed his eyes shut against the disappointment he heard in her voice. That was twice now he'd done that to her. Her gentle hands pulling his from his hair startled him, and he looked up at her. Silently, she pulled him out of his chair and pushed him down onto the sofa.

"Ginny, – "

"We'll just have to be extra careful, won't we?" She removed his glasses and set them on the back of the sofa, then leaned forward.

The instant her lips touched his, he was lost and allowed himself to be pushed backward until he was stretched out, with her over him. Hands roaming and clutching, he kissed everywhere he could reach. The beast within was finally getting what it had been demanding. Nothing or no one could have stopped him now. His labored breaths loud in the stillness of the room, Harry tried to keep quiet, with very little success. Not that Ginny was faring any better. Drowning in the sensations he was experiencing, he forgot all about staying quiet. Only one thought reverberated in his mind. _Almost there!_

Then, faster than he thought possible, he _was_ there – and it was incredible! His arms tightened around Ginny to hold her against him as the most glorious thing he'd ever felt crashed through him over and over like multiple tsunamis against land, building then breaking. It was almost painful, it felt so good. In a feeble attempt to muffle the sounds he couldn't seem to hold in, he buried his face into Ginny's neck. When she suddenly tensed, the thought that they'd been discovered fleetingly popped into his head and he found that, at that very moment, he couldn't have cared less if they had been, as the waves continued to crash. He quickly caught on to the fact that she'd tensed for another reason entirely.

Several minutes later, embarrassment and guilt replaced euphoria. Harry attempted to move away from Ginny, but she wasn't having any of that.

"Harry, don't," she told him firmly. She dropped her head to his, her hair creating a curtain around them. "What we just shared was brilliant, and I enjoyed it very much. Tell me something, how do you feel now?"

"I –" Harry started to say that he felt good when he realized it was more than that. Whereas before, there had always been that need in the back of his mind, whether he was actively feeling it or not. Now, it seemed to have gone. Harry grinned, feeling lighthearted for the first time in some time. "It's gone. I mean, I know it'll be back, but right now, it's completely gone."

Ginny grinned down at him. "Good. We'll just do this the next time it returns."

Harry couldn't help the tears that wanted to gather in his eyes. Her absolute willingness to put up with his issue – no, her absolute _enjoyment_ of his issue – made him so incredibly happy. Sliding his hands into her hair, he raised up just enough to softly kiss her.

"You're amazing, you know that? The day you decided to sit with me and talk to me was the luckiest day of my life." He laughed. "You know, I'm sort of anticipating that need coming back, and that's a first."

"Well," Ginny said, drawing out the word, still grinning at him. "No one says we have to wait for that in order to have a repeat."

Harry's brows jumped in hopeful surprise. "Really?"

Ginny shrugged, her grin broadening. "What? It felt good. It's only natural to want to feel that again."

Harry's hopes fell as another thought occurred to him. "We agreed not to abuse the room Miss Lena gave us, remember?"

Ginny's mischievous grin faltered. "Oh. Yeah. I guess we did, didn't we?" She paused, and Harry could see her thinking hard about their situation. Then, her expression brightened. "Well, now we know how it feels, we can anticipate experiencing it again." Ginny suddenly yawned. "Sorry. I'm feeling rather tired now. Maybe we should go up and try to get some sleep."

Harry nodded, feeling knackered as well, though he really liked where he was at the moment. "Yeah, I suppose so. I just hope being here for the next few days doesn't mess us up too badly for when we go back."

Ginny moved back to the end of the sofa, pulling her shirt down from where it had ridden – or had been pushed – up earlier. Picking up his glasses, she handed them over. Thankful for the dim light hiding the obvious signs of their activity, Harry took his glasses from her and slipped them on. Getting to his feet, he pulled Ginny up, then walked her to the doorway that led to the girls' dorms.

"I'll see you later. I love you, Ginny."

"I love you, too, Harry. I'll see you later."

Another soft kiss was shared between them before Ginny went upstairs. Harry waited until he couldn't hear her anymore to pull his wand and cast a quick Cleaning Charm on himself, heat suffusing his cheeks. He felt a little conflicted, that perhaps they wouldn't have progressed to this stage already if it hadn't been for his furry problem, but a much larger part of him was glad that they had. The beast that had driven his actions now sighed in satisfied contentment. Yawning, Harry climbed the stairs to his old dorm room.

0000

"Ginny, wake up. It's time to go down for breakfast, but I need to talk to you about something first."

Ginny rolled over. She'd been having a wonderful dream involving Harry and she really didn't want to lose it. The persistent voice wouldn't let her go and the dream slipped out of her grasp. But then, memories of what happened between her and Harry the previous night had her grinning. While she was glad it – at least temporarily – relieved Harry of that beast-driven need, she felt giddy due to the things she'd experienced. She'd never known it could feel so incredibly good. They were quite lucky to have not been discovered.

Getting up, Ginny gathered her uniform for the day, still grinning. Hermione noticed her expression. "You're exceptionally happy this morning. You've never been this way before."

Ginny shrugged in an effort to downplay her feelings. "I'm just feeling really good today."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at her in thought before she sat on Ginny's bed. "Would this have anything to do with last night?"

Ginny froze, her clothes against her chest, and stared fearfully at her friend. How did Hermione know? Was it that obvious? Would her brothers realize that something happened last night? Looking around, she was glad the room was empty, though she supposed she should have known that Hermione wouldn't bring something like that up if there had been others in the room. Slowly, she walked back to her bed and sat next to her friend.

"What do you know about it? Did I talk in my sleep or something?"

"No, you didn't talk in your sleep. After I'd lain here for a while trying to go to sleep, I decided to get up and go down to the common room on the off chance that you and Harry were still up. Plus," Hermione pointed to several places on her own neck, "these tell quite the story."

Ginny's eye widened and she blushed crimson, hand slapping to her neck. She had …! Hermione had …! Oh, Merlin, she had love bites and Hermione had heard or seen them last night! Dropping her head into her hand, she let the embarrassment wash over her. A giggle escaped. Then another until she was full on laughing. It was either that or cry.

"Ginny, are you sure what you and Harry did was wise? I mean, you're only thirteen. That's very risky behavior to engage in. How long has that been going on?"

Ginny laughed even harder. She thought … Hermione thought that … Finally getting herself under control, she looked up at her friend. "It wasn't what you're thinking."

"It certainly sounded like it."

"Not a single article of clothing was removed, Hermione. We just … went through the motions, I guess you could say."

"Oh." Hermione's face reddened and her gaze darted away to the window. "And you've been doing this how long?"

"Last night was the first time. I'll admit it happened sooner than it would have ordinarily, but I have no regrets. Harry's and my situation is entirely different than everyone else's."

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, watching Ginny carefully, "Does it have anything to do with Harry's lycanthropy?"

Despite it being good to be able to talk about this kind of thing with Hermione, Ginny hesitated in admitting anything. They were getting into very personal territory. She wasn't certain Harry would be alright with her saying anything. In the end, she didn't have to.

"It's okay, Ginny. I know this is personal."

"I'd really like to talk to you about it, but I need to see if Harry would be okay with me saying anything first."

"I understand." Hermione suddenly grinned. "So, er, how did it feel?"

Ginny's jaw dropped. "Hermione!" She giggled, which ruined her expression of shock. "Better than my wildest dreams, and believe me, I've dreamed about it. I feel so much more relaxed, now."

Hermione shook her head, her smile still in place. "I never thought you'd experience that before I did. I have to say, I envy you. Well, let's hide those love bites then get downstairs." With a flourish, Hermione waved her wand at Ginny's neck.

"You won't say anything to Ron or my other brothers, will you? Because if you do, I won't be held responsible for what I do to any of them for overreacting."

"No, I won't say anything, but you might reconsider using the common room for that. You're lucky it wasn't someone else who had come down."

"Well, we'd planned on using that magical room earlier, but didn't get the chance since the other school arrived. Don't worry. I don't think it'll happen again any time soon."

"Why not?"

"We made a promise not to abuse the privilege of using a room back at school."

Hermione gaped. "Headmistress Roux knows? She gave you a room?"

Ginny laughed. "She's the one who suggested we do what we did." Winking, Ginny headed off to get a shower before going down to the common room.

0000

Downstairs, Ginny's gaze fell onto the sofa, and she bit her lip to keep the silly grin off her face. Harry was leaning against the back of the sofa, Ron, Chris, and Neville standing around him, while Ron waved his hands as he talked, no doubt talking about Quidditch. Leaning against the inside of the doorway, she watched her boyfriend for a minute. He had his fingers in his pockets and looked to be free of the stress he'd been carrying around for the last few weeks. As she watched, she noticed his smile seemed a bit brighter, his laugh heartier. The silly grin she'd been fighting won its battle, curling her lips in supreme satisfaction. She'd been able to give him that peace, even if it was temporary. Her! Even if she hadn't been ready for last night, she'd have done it anyway just to get Harry to looking like that.

"You know," Hermione softly said from the step above her, "I don't think I've seen him look so … calm, so happy before. It's definitely a good look for him."

Harry turned his head in their direction, likely having heard the two of them coming down the stairs. Caught by his gaze and his own goofy grin when he spotted her, Ginny felt rooted to her step. Hermione squeezed past, but Ginny gave her friend very little attention, her eyes staying on his gorgeous green ones as he walked over to her.

"Good morning," he said, just before kissing her, a simple chaste kiss that spoke directly to her heart.

"Not in front of me!" Ron yelled in exasperation.

"Then turn around!" Hermione could be heard scolding him. "Honestly, Ronald, it's a kiss! You act as if they were doing more than that!"

Ginny snorted at Hermione's statement, breaking the kiss; she couldn't help it. Glancing up at Harry, he had a deer in the wandlight look, eyes wide, muscles tensed. It made her snort again. "I'm sorry, Harry. She came downstairs looking for us last night. Plus, she saw the love bites you left on my neck." Ginny laughed at the color that suddenly blossomed in his cheeks, while his gaze dipped to see for himself the marks he'd left. "They've been hidden. So, needless to say, I had a bit of explaining to do, though I didn't get too personal. I wanted to talk to you before I did."

Harry's hand disappeared into his hair, mussing it further than it already was. "Oh, er, well, alright. I suppose. I mean, she already knows what happened last night, right?"

"Yes. She doesn't know the reason behind it, though. I think she suspects what it might be. She also knows we have a room back at school and that Miss Lena was the one who made the suggestion in the first place."

"Er, okay." Harry looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry." Ginny suddenly worried she'd messed things up. "I shouldn't have said anything. It was just kind of nice to talk about it with another girl."

"No! I mean, I'm not upset that you talked about it. I'm just …"

"Embarrassed?"

Harry's expression turned sheepish and he chuckled. "Yeah, a bit. More than a bit."

"Can we go to breakfast now?" Ron's whiny voice asked from somewhere behind them. _Smack!_ "Ow! Hermione! What the bloody hell was that for?"

"For being an insensitive prat!"

Ginny giggled at the exchange. "We should go. I know it's getting late. By the way, don't feel too embarrassed. I was at first, but I just feel too good to care that she knows."

Harry seemed to think about it, then nodded. "You know what? You're right. Come on, I'm starving."

He draped his arm across her shoulders, so she responded by sliding her arm around his waist. They walked over to where he'd been standing so that Harry could collect his school bag containing his books and supplies since he knew what classes the fourth years had today. She, on the other hand, would have to talk to Professor McGonagall to get the schedule for that day and Monday.

"Finally! Can we go, now?"

Ginny chewed her lip at Hermione's eye roll to keep from laughing out loud. A snort did escape when her bushy-haired friend all but latched onto Chris and set off to lead the way out of the common room, though Chris really didn't seem to mind in the least. Hmmm. It looked as if the next few days were going to be really fun to sit back and observe.

0000

"Well, what do you know! Seems as if the kid likes you after all."

Bill looked up at the sneering, gloating man standing over him. "What?"

"Potter," the man spat. "He turned up at Hogwarts yesterday with one of the schools that are competing. He's found a way to wiggle into the Tournament. Lucky you."

Bill closed his eyes with a deep sigh – or as deep as he could get. He was fairly certain he had some badly bruised ribs. He'd really hoped that Harry being out of the country would keep him from entering that stupid competition. Merlin, Harry, what are you thinking?! You were supposed to stay safe!

The man mockingly laughed again. "Oh, the fun will be starting soon!"

 **AN:** Just a refresher. _Mon loup_ is French for My Wolf (an actual term of endearment in French) _Tá grá agam duit_ is Irish for I love you. _I gcónaí_ is Irish for Always. _Mon amour_ is French for My Love.


	17. Not the Same

_**I'm definitely not the same person I was, when this year started.**_

Not even Professor Binns' monotonous droning could dampen Harry's spirits. He sat in the back of the room with Chris, grinning like the Kneazle that swallowed the Snidget as he pretended to take notes. Hermione kept tossing him some speculative looks, but it didn't matter. A silly, happy mood had taken him over! For the first time in weeks, Harry felt normal. No raging beast demanded that he do something he and Ginny weren't ready for. He could now hold her hand, caress her cheek, play with her hair, take in her scent, kiss her – everything he was afraid to do before for fear of how it would affect him, he could now do without worry, and it was a freedom he reveled in. When they'd sat down for breakfast, Harry had ended up eating with his left hand due to the fact that Ginny's left hand had found its way to his thigh and he'd covered it with his right, weaving their fingers together, and giving her a giddy smile.

Even Ron had noticed his unusually chipper mood and had asked about it, to which Harry had shrugged and said, "I just feel really good."

"Did someone overdo it on the Cheering Charm?" Ron had then asked.

Harry had laughed at that. "Nope. It's just a really great day." He'd squeezed Ginny's hand under the table, then had gone back to his breakfast.

Now, he was sitting in the back of the room, silently conversing with Chris via notes, comparing the differences between this class and the one at Magnolia House, some of which made Harry snort in laughter, though he did try to cover it with a cough. In reality, it didn't take much to make him almost laugh out loud. Chris seemed to take pleasure in making Harry laugh as his suggestions for improving Hogwarts' class grew more and more wild. By the time class was over, Harry's stomach muscles hurt from silently laughing so much.

"What was so funny?" Neville asked as they exited the classroom. "I could hear you, though you did a good job covering it."

Harry laughed again. "Chris and I were comparing History of Magic here and at our school, coming up with ways to improve the class here. Some of his suggestions were hilarious."

Chris chuckled, too. "They weren't _that_ funny."

"Yes, they absolutely were."

Ron eyed him warily. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Neville nodded as he studied Harry. "Yeah, you almost seem as if someone had given you some Felix Felicis – Liquid Luck – or something. That's been known to make a person overly happy."

Harry shook his head as they headed up the stairs towards their Charms classroom on the third floor, his sappy grin still in place. "I'm perfectly fine. No Cheering Charms, no Felix Felicis." He snickered. "Though you could say luck was on my side last night."

Hermione threw him a warning look. Chris hadn't missed his comment, either. Ron seemed slightly taken aback. "What? Why?"

"It doesn't really matter, Ron," Hermione quickly replied. "Come on, Harry. You don't want to miss seeing Ginny, do you? She has to go all the way up to the sixth floor for Ancient Runes next, remember?"

Ron pretended to gag, which set Harry to laughing again. "Shut it, Ron. Yes, Hermione, I do want to see Ginny. Let's go."

They'd just passed the second floor when the girl who had accosted him the day before bumped into him on her way down, making sure to let the contact between them linger. Harry was certain everything she did was intentional, probably hoping to get another reaction out of him. Well, she was about to be sorely disappointed.

"Hi, Harry," she practically purred. "Sorry to run into you like that." Her hand came up intending to land on his chest.

Harry grabbed her wrist, stopping its forward motion. "Yeah, sure. Sorry, but I can't stay and talk. I'm on my way to see Ginny before she has to get up to the Ancient Runes classroom." Seeing the girl's expression, he wanted to be sure she understood him loud and clear. "Not just see her. I'm fairly certain there will be a kiss or two in there as well. It's simply amazing how much I love that girl."

Grinning at the blonde's sour expression, Harry dropped the girl's wrist and continued up the stairs, his friends trailing behind him, Ron laughing uproariously.

"That was brilliant, Harry!" Ron crowed.

Harry shrugged, his main focus on getting to Ginny. "It was the truth."

Reaching the third floor, Harry spied her waiting for him a short distance from the staircase, and he beamed at her. No one existed for him but Ginny. Laughing like a kid, he wrapped her up in his arms, lifting her a bit off the floor. Ginny laughed in return. Both of them were oblivious to the grins, sighs, and whispers around them.

"Hi," she said, soft enough that only he could hear.

"Hi, back," Harry replied, reaching up slightly for a kiss. "Hmmm. That's a first," he teased afterward. "Usually, I have to lean down in order to kiss you. Makes for a nice change to do the opposite."

Ginny laughed out loud. "Prat. Okay, put me down. I need to go. I don't want any staircases moving on me. I'm going to be taking notes for both of us, so I have to get there before class starts."

"Okay," he agreed, cheerfully. Harry loosened his grip on her, allowing her feet to slowly slide to the floor. "I'm good until lunchtime, now." Leaning close to Ginny's ear, he whispered, "I just had to have you in my arms again, at least for a moment."

Ginny beamed up at him, pecked his cheek in reward, then dashed up the stairs. It was then that the rest of the world became significant to Harry. Looking around, he spotted his friends not far away. Hermione was grinning wistfully. Ron looked annoyed. Chris and Neville were in a deep discussion about something.

When Harry joined them, Ron snorted. "Oh, so, now you remember us."

Glad that Ron sounded more amused than irritated like Harry had initially thought, he gave Ginny's brother a little shrug. "Sorry," though it was obvious to everyone that he wasn't.

From their spot against the wall, the five of them could observe the students coming and going. Several of the Chinese students passed them, and Harry noticed that their clothing had changed to something less elaborate. The boys wore a red jacket in a similar style as the waistcoats previously worn – with much less embroidery – black trousers and shoes. Near the mandarin collar, Harry noticed a pin about half the size of a Snitch. From what he could tell, it looked like a dragon wrapped around a flower, most likely to represent their school.

The girls' clothing also had been toned down. While their somewhat form-fitting long red dresses still had gold flowery embroidery, it was very subtle. Their sleeves ended about mid-forearm and Harry wondered how warm the girls would possibly be when they would be here in winter. As with the boys, the girls also wore the pin just below the mandarin collars of their dresses. Red flat-soled shoes were on their feet. Most of the girls now wore their hair in more casual styles.

"I wonder how they're managing," Hermione mused, watching several of the Chinese students.

"Maybe they know English," Neville suggested with a shrug.

"It's possible," Hermione agreed with a nod, "since English is a universal language. It's spoken in lots of places."

"They're all wearing the same pin," Chris ventured, "so maybe there's a Translation Charm on it that allows them to understand us and for us to understand them."

Hermione gasped and turned to Chris, utter delight in her eyes, making Harry have to nibble the inside of his lip to keep from laughing at her expression. Meeting Neville's eyes, Harry could see the other boy was thinking the same thing. Ron, on the other hand, didn't seem as amused.

"Interesting suggestion, Chris," Hermione was saying, nodding. "I would love to know how they did it. Muggles have dictionaries that can translate from one language to another, but to have two full languages packed into a spell? That would be beyond brilliant! Maybe Professor Flitwick could tell us. Let's go. We should probably be getting to class anyway."

Harry excused himself to go to the loo, telling the others he'd catch up to them. Some Hogwarts girls passed him as he headed down the corridor and he caught a snippet of their conversation.

" … pawed at me like an animal. It was bloody awful … never touching me again … "

Harry froze in place, his good mood evaporating instantly. His mind flew back to the previous night. He'd been out of control. Most likely, he'd done the same to Ginny. He'd left marks on her neck. It stood to reason he'd left marks elsewhere, didn't it? He couldn't really remember what he'd done, just what he'd felt. Even though she'd said she'd enjoyed it, he couldn't help wondering if she felt differently. After doing what needed to be done, he trudged back down the corridor towards the Charms classroom wishing he could talk to Ginny right at that moment.

Sliding into a seat, he ignored everyone, propping an elbow on his desk, and dropping his chin into his hand. His sudden mood change didn't go unnoticed. Hermione and Chris were busy talking with Professor Flitwick, while Ron looked on, wearing a disgruntled expression. Neville dropped into the empty seat next to Harry.

"What's wrong, Harry? Just a few minutes ago you were practically bursting with happiness."

Harry forced himself to smile. "Oh, er, nothing. I just … I just thought of something is all."

"Harry," Neville said softly, "I know it's more than that. If you ever want to talk, I promise to listen."

Harry's fake smile melted away. "Thanks, Neville. I – I need to talk to Ginny."

Harry slumped forward, folding his arms across his desk, and dropped his chin to them. For the remainder of the class period, Harry sullenly ignored everyone while they practiced using the Summoning Charm. No amount of prodding drew him out of his mood. All he could think about was _What if he'd hurt her? What if he'd crossed a line?_ Harry's heart constricted at the thought. He wanted nothing more than to run out of the room, dash up the stairs to the Ancient Runes classroom, and drag Ginny away so that he could find out for certain just how he'd acted last night.

Having not taken out his Charms book, Harry was ready for the bell that signaled the end of class, and was out the door before anyone else, missing the worried expressions his friends tossed his way. He caught up with Ginny on the stairs leading to the fifth floor.

"Ginny, we need to talk about something," he practically begged of her, his voice taking on a note of desperation.

"Okay," Ginny replied slowly, her brow furrowing in concern. "Come on. I think I remember a little alcove up here where we can talk privately."

Sure enough, behind a tapestry on the fifth floor, there was a hidden alcove, much like the one Ginny had led him to at the end of the school year last year when he'd returned for exams. She dropped her book bag against the wall, and Harry followed her example.

"So, what's bothering you, Harry? It must be something terrible to change your mood so much."

Not wanting to take any chances on being overheard, Harry pulled his wand and cast Silencing Charms around them. Putting his wand away, he began to pace. Eight steps away, turn, eight steps back. Repeat. On the second return Ginny grabbed his arm, putting a stop to his pacing.

"Out with it, Potter. What has you so upset?"

Harry drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly, then forced the dreaded words past his lips. "Did I hurt you last night?" That seemed to have been the last thing she'd expected because she simply stared at him in confusion. "Was I like a … a rabid animal or something … with you?" She continued to stare at him. Harry sighed, digging his hands into his hair, and attempted to explain. "Just before class, I heard some sixth- or seventh-year girls talking. One of them said that some bloke had pawed her like an animal and how awful it had been. I –"

Ginny's confusion instantly cleared. "Oh! Now, I understand why you're asking me that." She stepped up to him, took his hands into her own, gave them a squeeze, then let go. Caressing his cheeks with her thumbs, she looked him straight in the eyes. "No, you didn't act that way with me. Your hands wandered, yes, but nowhere I wasn't comfortable with. In fact, I rather enjoyed having your hands on me. Not once did you hurt me."

Relieved, Harry let out the breath he'd been holding. One of his hands came to rest on her hip, while his other lay against her stomach, his thumb running up and down over the button it could reach, not daring to slip into the gap between the buttons to touch her skin.

"I'm glad," he finally said. "Hearing that girl say what she did, it made me think that I probably had done something similar to you. I mean, I left marks on your neck, after all. Who was to say that I hadn't left some somewhere else?" Harry hated to admit this next part, but he did it anyway. "To be honest, I can't remember much of what I did. I know that sounds awful, but it's the truth. I just remember being completely out of control and I can remember how everything felt, but that's it."

"Harry, you weren't _completely_ out of control. You never pushed for more than what we'd agreed we were going to do. Truthfully, I'd _prefer_ you to lose some control and to only remember how it felt. It means you were just as caught up in it as I was, that it was memorable, and that makes me feel really good." Briefly, Ginny kissed him. "So, don't worry about it anymore, okay?"

The silly grin he'd been wearing for most of the morning slowly returned, as did the mood that accompanied it. Giving a little laugh, Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny and lifted her up, just as he'd done before.

"I love you, Ginny," he whispered so sincerely that his voice shook.

Ginny grinned down at him. "I love you, too, Harry. For always."

Harry kissed her then, a slow, yet sensual, kiss. Before long, he pulled away and set her down. "Come on, it's lunchtime. I'm sure they're probably wondering where we are."

"Yeah, probably." A mischievous look curled her lips even further upward. "Or we could just stay here, see if the castle would provide us with some food."

That idea sounded very good to Harry, which was the exact reason why he shook his head. "No. As much as I like the thought, it wouldn't be a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm wanting a repeat of what we did." Seeing her look of concern, Harry quickly reassured her. "Me, not the wolf. _I_ want to repeat last night, but I don't want to get used to doing that since we can't at Magnolia House."

Ginny sighed, taking a step back from him. "I see your point. Alright, then. Let's put our books away and go down to lunch."

Arm in arm, the two headed up to Gryffindor Tower, broke apart long enough to put their book bags away, then came together again as they left for lunch.

0000

Over the weekend, Harry and Ginny learned, thanks to Hermione and Chris, that the Chinese students did, in fact, know English, but wore pins with Translation Charms just in case. Harry found it amusing to see Hermione and Chris discussing in-depth Charms and Transfiguration spells, but it was more amusing seeing Hermione asking Chris for explanations on some of the potions she'd either failed to brew or had nearly failed to brew.

Ron, however, didn't find it amusing. He chose to ignore them, asking Harry to play chess each time Hermione and Chris started talking schoolwork. It made Harry laugh at what bothered Ron and what didn't. Most of the time, when in the common room, Ginny either sat in Harry's lap or cuddled up to his side. Naturally, Harry wasn't opposed to either action, had even encouraged it by tugging Ginny's hand enough to pull her to him. More often than not, that was how they could be found late into the evening.

Sunday morning was spent walking around the school grounds with Chris, Hermione, Neville, and Ron. For a short time, Harry and Ginny disappeared to spend some time together. At least, that was the excuse they gave. In reality, Harry went to put his name into the Goblet of Fire. Holding Ginny's hand tightly, he slipped the folded parchment into the blue-white flames.

"Well, it's done," Harry said with a note of finality.

"I wish you didn't, but I understand why you did. When do you want to tell the others?"

Harry heaved a sigh. "I guess I should today. It probably isn't a good idea to just wait until tomorrow night and surprise them."

Ginny snorted at that mental picture. "No, probably not."

"Let's do it now and get it over with."

Upon finding their friends, Harry looked over at Chris and said two words. "It's time." Neville, Hermione, and Ron looked confused as to what he was referring to, but Chris knew and Harry received a nod from him. Harry continued, "I'll explain, but let's go somewhere else for privacy."

Harry led the group up to the magical room. Once they were all seated, he pulled Ginny close for support. Clearing his throat, he turned to Hermione. "Hermione, you asked me who I thought Magnolia House's champion would be." Hermione nodded, looking curious. Harry continued speaking directly to her. "Well, I _know_ who the champion will be – me."

"What?!" the three Gryffindors exclaimed.

"But Harry," Hermione went on, "it's dangerous! Why would you want to enter? How could you even know you'll be the champion?"

Harry met the eyes of each his Hogwarts friends as he explained. "Back at the beginning of this month, I received a letter, one that instructed me to enter the Triwizard Tournament if I wanted Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie to live."

" _What?!_ "

Harry nodded. "I had Sirius check to see if they had gone missing. They had. Whoever sent me that letter was responsible for their abductions. I couldn't just sit by and let something happen to them, so I've entered the Tournament."

Neville and Ron gaped at him, but Hermione, in true Hermione fashion, asked another question. "But, Harry, how can you guarantee you'll be chosen? I've seen others from your school enter."

"They're not entering their own names," Harry replied with a small grin.

Ginny nodded. "None of them are entering their own names. That way, they'll be disqualified. Harry will be the only one entering his own name, so he'll be the one picked."

"So … everyone else is just …"

"A decoy," Chris confirmed. "Miss Lena came up with the plan; the others agreed. It was the best plan we had."

"I don't know what to say," Ron hoarsely said, staring at Harry wide-eyed. " _Thank you_ doesn't seem to be enough."

Harry shrugged. "Like I said, I couldn't stand by and do nothing when there was something that I _could_ do."

Hermione grew contemplative, her eyes narrowing in thought. Suddenly, she looked up to the ceiling and asked for parchment, quill, and ink, which the room promptly provided. "If you're going to do this, Harry, then you need to be ready. Let's start with a list of spells that you know. Okay, I know you know the Levitation Charm, the Silencing Charm, the Summoning Charm …"

Harry grinned. Hermione had reacted just as he'd thought she would. In this instance though, making a list was a good idea. It would give him an idea of any area that he needed to strengthen. Harry threw out the spells that he, Ginny, and Chris had learned, and chuckled as his friend warred with herself over which to focus upon, the list or the new spells. It pleased him when she continued on with the list, rather than bombard him with questions. Harry nodded to himself. Definitely a new and improved Hermione.

They continued with the list until lunchtime. After lunch, Hermione and Chris went to the library to find some other spells for Harry to practice. Harry played a few games of chess, while Neville chatted with Miss Lena in one of the greenhouses, going over some plants that were finicky in their growth requirements.

Some time later, though the weather had turned cooler, the six of them returned to the school grounds. As they passed by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Chris looked over at the heavily shaded area. "So, is that where you'd spend the night of the full moon?"

"Actually ..." Harry looked around them. Due to the much cooler temperature, most students were inside the castle. "Come on, I'll show you where I went to change."

Harry led them over to the Whomping Willow, which began slinging its branches around the instant it detected their presence. Producing his wand, he sent a rock at the knot on the base of the tree to momentarily still the wild flailing of the tree's limbs.

Turning back to the others, he grinned. "Let's go. They won't be still long."

Taking Ginny's hand, he hurried to climb down into the opening of the tunnel at the base of the Willow's trunk. After Ginny, came Chris, Neville, Hermione, then Ron. Once everyone's wand was lit, Harry led them the tunnel's length to the ladder and trapdoor, then up into the Shrieking Shack.

"Wow, Harry, that was a bit of a trek," Chris commented.

"Where are we, Harry?" Neville asked, looking around himself.

Grinning, Harry said, "Take a look out the window and you'll see for yourself."

Neville did so and gasped. Whirling around, he said with a surprised laugh, "We're in Hogsmeade!" He looked around them once more, and Harry could see that it fell into place in his head. "We're in the Shrieking Shack!"

"The Shrieking Shack?" Chris asked, his gaze bouncing between Harry and Neville, brows raised.

"That's what everyone calls this place," Hermione explained. "It's supposed to be the most haunted place in Britain."

"But … it really isn't, is it?" Chris stated, more than asked.

Harry shook his head, turning in a small circle as he looked around the room. Memories from the previous year came flooding back to him, his voice taking on a melancholic tone. "No. When Uncle Remus attended school here, this is where he came for his transformations." Harry wandered over to a window and stared, unseeing, out at the village. "It's a painful process. Only a select few people knew that Uncle Remus was a werewolf. The villagers certainly didn't know, so they heard his screams and immediately thought ghosts." Harry shrugged. "No one corrected them."

"I'm sorry, man," Chris apologized softly, "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Harry turned and offered him a thin smile. "It's fine."

Ginny came over to his side, wrapped an arm around him and gave him a gentle squeeze. Harry reached out and pulled her close so that her back was against his chest, leaned against the window behind him, and gave her an appreciative smile for her effort at cheering him up, his arm remaining in place across her front. Ginny returned his smile before looking over to their friends.

"This was where I discovered the truth about Harry and Remus," she said softly. "Harry and I had had a huge fight and weren't speaking to each other anymore. Eventually, Remus brought me here. We talked. He hinted that Harry would be here the following night. After debating it the rest of that day and the next, I decided to come see Harry, so I sneaked out. I think I got the shock of my life that night."

Harry looked down at the girl leaning against him, a loving smile transforming his face from sadness to contentment. "I couldn't believe that she still wanted to be my friend after learning what I'd been keeping from her. We talked quite a bit in the following days. Looking back, it's very possible that's when things started for me. It wasn't anything physical – not at that time. No swoops in the stomach. No increased heart rate. I think it was more of an emotional connection, on a level I'd never had before."

Suddenly embarrassed at having shared such private thoughts, Harry ducked his head, fighting the heat that crept up his neck.

"And you've been together, one way or another, ever since," Chris observed with a smile.

Ginny nodded. "We have. Oh, we've had our disagreements, but they've never lasted long."

Hoping to redirect the conversation to a less embarrassing topic, Harry pointed out the window behind him and told Chris, "That's where Hogwarts students are allowed to go on some weekends. There's quite a few shops for a small village."

"It's the only all-Wizarding village in Britain," Hermione added. Suddenly, her eyes widened as an idea occurred to her. "Harry! Ginny! You'll be here for the Yule Ball! We're having it due to the Triwizard Tournament so it stands to reason that you'll be here, too." She, then, blushed. "You, too, Chris, if you're allowed to return."

"Of course I'll be here," Chris said, grinning. "Wouldn't miss it. Sounds like it could be fun."

"Well, then, just to be safe ..." Harry looked down at Ginny. "Be my date for the Yule Ball?"

Ron snorted with a bit of an eye roll. "Of course she will. Who else would she go with? Why even bother asking?"

Hermione whirled to face the male Weasley, scowl firmly in place. "Because girls tend to like being asked and not taken for granted, something Harry obviously understands. Honestly! How can you be so clueless and insensitive?"

Harry tensed, not really wanting to hear another argument between them again, but Hermione's attention was quickly caught by Chris.

"Hermione," Chris started to say as he walked over to her, "would you do me the honor of being my date for the Yule Ball?"

Harry dropped his head to Ginny's in an attempt to hide his grin, though he watched, highly amused, as surprise, uncertainty, then delight flitted across Hermione's face.

"Yes, I think I will," she finally responded. "Thank you for asking. It's nice to know that there are some of you who are mature enough to understand."

"But … but … what about …?" Ron sputtered, obviously not liking this new development.

"What about _what_ , Ronald?" Hermione asked, scowling once more.

Not responding to her irritation well, Ron demanded, "What if he doesn't show up? What then?"

Hermione shrugged. "I'll just go by myself." Ron snorted disdainfully at that, which didn't improve Hermione's mood. "What? You think a girl can't go to a dance by herself?"

"No. That would just be pathetic. A bloke could go alone, though. There's nothing wrong with that, but seeing a girl by herself is just plain sad."

"Hey, man, lay off." Chris glared at Ron. "What's your problem? There's absolutely nothing wrong with a girl going to a dance by herself. It means she's confident in who she is. That's quite attractive."

Harry's brows jumped. Leaning close to Ginny's ear, he whispered, "Wow. I wasn't expecting that comment."

"Me neither," Ginny whispered back.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep," Ron snapped.

"Who says I can't keep it? You? You don't know me. I _will_ be here because I'm Harry's friend. Ginny's too. I told Harry that he could count on me. I'll be supporting him through this competition – like any good friend would."

Harry, fearing things might get physical, cleared his throat. "We should probably get back before our absence is noticed."

"Good idea," Hermione agreed. "I wouldn't want to get detention, or worse, be banned from the dance."

The group filed down into the tunnel and back the way they came, up out of the entrance at the base of the Whomping Willow after Harry stopped its thrashing, and headed back into the castle. Harry thought about taking Ron aside to have a little chat with him, but Neville dragged Ron away from them before Harry could speak up.

Chris cleared his throat as the four of them made their way up the main stairs. "Look, I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean for it to get ugly. He's been giving me these nasty looks since Thursday, and I know he's stressed about his family and everything, but I'm tired of it. There was no cause to be that way to Hermione either. Sorry, Ginny. I know he's your brother."

"Oh, don't worry about it. My brother can be a right git when he wants to be." The next instant, Ginny froze, all color draining from her face. "Oh, Merlin! I can't believe I forgot!"

Worried about his girlfriend, Harry stopped and gripped her clammy hands. "What is it? What's wrong?" When Ginny looked up at him, her expression tore at his heart. Tears made her eyes shine unnaturally bright.

Ginny sniffled as a tear slid down her cheek. "I just remembered. It's Mum's birthday today. How could I forget it?"

Harry pulled her to his chest, holding her tightly as she began to cry. "Ginny, I'm so sorry."

"I feel so awful for forgetting," she sobbed.

Not knowing what to say, Harry simply held her until she'd shed all her tears. "I don't think … I'm only guessing, but I don't think your mum would want you to feel that way. I think she'd want you to think about her and be happy, to remember that she's coming back."

This, apparently, was the wrong thing to say because she began to cry again. "Yeah, thanks to you entering this stupid, dangerous tournament! You and your stupid nobility!"

"Hey!" Harry said, giving her a playful shake, hoping to cheer Ginny up. "I thought you liked my nobility! I thought that was one of the things you loved about me!" He was pleased to hear her muffled chuckle.

"Actually, I do," Ginny said, keeping her face buried against his chest. She sniffled a few times before continuing, "And you're right. Mum wouldn't want me to be sad today. Thanks for reminding me."

"It's what I'm here for." Ginny sniffled a few times more in quick succession. Harry scrunched up his nose. "That, and to be your handkerchief."

That actually made Ginny laugh, sniffle, and snort, before she stepped back. Wiping her eyes, she turned to face Chris and Hermione, and said, "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?" Hermione asked. "You have a reason to be upset."

"Yeah, what she said," Chris agree, pointing at Hermione. "Besides, I'm the one who should apologize – to you and to Ron. I made a bad situation worse. I feel like an ass."

"No, don't, Chris," Ginny said, stepping up to him and giving him a quick hug. "You didn't know. My brother's going to have to learn to actually talk about what he's feeling, rather than taking them out on everyone around him."

Chris shrugged. "Maybe so, but I feel I could have been a bit more tolerant."

"But you came to my defense," Hermione protested. "To be honest, if you hadn't spoken up, I would have yelled at him." With a small smile, she added, "The Weasleys and Harry aren't the only ones who have a bit of a temper, and for some reason, Ron manages to stomp all over the buttons that trigger mine."

Ginny giggled, sniffling a final time. "He's always done that. It's not likely to change any time soon. Sometimes I wonder if Ron has no self-preservation."

"Come on," Harry urged, "let's go up to the common room and relax before we have classes tomorrow. You can share with us some of the moments your mum didn't make your temper explode. Or maybe we should hear _those_ moments."

Ginny gave a little chuckle. "They're about equal. She's very traditional and has her own ideas on how a girl should look and act. She wasn't too happy to see my hair when I first put it up last month."

"Really?" That surprised Harry. Ginny had never said a word to him about it. "What was wrong with it? I liked it." Today, she wore her hair down, parted on the left side. A small section at the front had been rolled and twisted, then pinned low at the back of her head. It was repeated on the other side with another small section of hair. He captured a few strands between his fingers. "I like this, too, though."

Ginny smiled, took his hand, then began climbing the stairs once more. "She thought I should just plait it like I used to. She couldn't understand that I wanted something different."

"She'll get used to it," Hermione said from Ginny's left. "You just have to give her time. You're growing up. Eventually, she'll see that."

"I suppose."

The four of them continued to chat about whatever came to mind the rest of the way to their common room.

0000

As luck would have it, Harry and Chris were the last ones to retire that night. Having wanted to talk to Chris, Harry took this perfect opportunity to do so. Forcing his expression into one of intimidation, he cleared his throat to get his friend's attention.

"So, Chris. Hermione, eh? Is there something you want to tell me?"

Instead of being intimidated, Chris merely shrugged. "What? She's pretty. You never told me she was pretty. Besides, we connect on an intellectual level. What's wrong with that?"

Harry couldn't hide his grin any longer. "Absolutely nothing. Why would I tell you if my friend was pretty or not? I mean, I suppose she is. I never really noticed."

Chris snorted. "Of course you didn't. Your eyes have been glued to Red." He gave a little shrug. "What can I say? Hermione understands me. She enjoys learning as much as I do."

Harry let out a delighted laugh. "Don't let Ginny hear you call her that. She'll hex you. As for the other … I told you!" he said in a sing-song voice. "I told you, when you met the right girl, you'd get mushy. I never expected to play matchmaker, however inadvertently, but still ..."

"Hey, I'm not being mushy. I'm merely stating facts. I'm not acting like you and Ginny. You two own the crown of mush, the giant, sickeningly sweet, sappy crown. You're the king and queen of mush."

Harry laughed heartily. "Admit it. You're feeling just a little bit sappy." When Chris simply grinned sheepishly, Harry snickered. "I knew it. It's an amazing feeling, isn't it, to have found someone who understands you almost better than you do yourself? It won't be easy with her here and you there, but who knows?"

"So, you wouldn't have a problem with us dating, if it came to it?"

"No. I know you'd treat her well."

"Thanks, Harry."

The wind kicked up and whistled outside, sending a cold draft into the common room. Chris shivered.

"Damn, you weren't kidding about this place being drafty. Makes me especially glad for Magnolia House and our weather there. Except for the hurricanes. Those I could do without."

"When those come, where do you go? You mentioned before about leaving the school when the hurricanes come, but I never got around to asking where you go when you have to leave."

"Oh, we go to Hedwig Village. They're actually above sea level so they don't get flooded as easily as we do. Granted, they still get some nasty weather, they just don't seem to get hit with hurricanes as often as we do. Their school is on a hill overlooking the majority of the village so that when the storms do come, they're safe."

"That's good, though it seems a bit risky to have another school in a place that could be so affected by weather."

Chris spread his hands out. "Pick any part of the country and I can tell you its particular issues. The west has earthquakes, flooding rains, mudslides, and wildfires – or severe droughts. The central part of the U.S has tornadoes. North and northeast have blizzards and sometimes strong tropical storms along the northeastern coast, as well as the eastern coast. No matter where you go, there's something to contend with."

"That's true. So, what do you think of the professors here? Haven't really had a chance to ask you about that."

"I like McGonagall and Flitwick. I mean, McGonagall seems fair. We haven't had Transfiguration so I can't say for certain. Moody is a bit frightening with his scars, magical eye, and sudden yells of _Constant Vigilance_! If it weren't for you, I would have died of boredom in Binns' class. Now, Snape." Chris shook his head. "How does anyone expect you to learn anything with a teacher like that? After one class with him, I now want to prostrate myself in front of Mr. Philter and beg him to never leave."

Harry chuckled, though he agreed. He'd beg Mr. Philter to come to Hogwarts if he thought his Potions teacher would actually do it. "We have Herbology first in the morning. Sprout's a lot like Mr. Hadley. After that is Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid is … well, you'll see. He's nice enough, though."

Chris nodded, smiling. "And Hermione and I have Arithmancy in the afternoon. That should be fun."

"Yeah, have fun with that," Harry said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. "I, on the other hand, will be having loads of fun since I have the afternoon open."

"Yeah, well, it's only because of the Tournament. Trust me, I'd rather have my afternoon than yours."

Harry instantly sobered as he remembered exactly what tomorrow was: the day he usually visited his parents' graves. Maybe that was something he could do in the afternoon.

"What's wrong? You suddenly looked as if Ginny's presence in your life was just a dream."

"Oh, I, er, well, tomorrow marks the anniversary of when my parents were killed. I usually go to their graves every year."

"Oh, damn, dude, I'm sorry. I didn't know. It's also, what, the thirteenth anniversary of being bitten, too, right?"

"Yeah, that, too."

"Do you think you'll be able to go this year?"

Harry bit the inside of his lip and anxiously ran his fingers over the arm of his chair. "I hope so. Sirius will probably be here tomorrow so I can ask him when I see him. I know he's been busy keeping Ginny's dad company, trying to take his mind off of everything. That's what he told me he would be doing, at any rate."

"You don't think he has been?"

Harry shrugged. "It's possible. Just like it's also possible he's been out doing some investigating on his own, looking for something the Aurors missed."

Chris nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that, just from my own observations of him. You just have to keep thinking that everything will turn out alright."

"I know. It's hard because the longer it takes, the less likely it is they'll be found uninjured, but I have to keep working at it, for Ginny and Ron's sake."

The two sat quietly several minutes. When Chris suddenly yawned, he said, "Well, I think I can sleep now, so I'm going up. Are you coming?"

Though tempted to stay downstairs, Harry chose not to when another cold draft blew through the room. "Yeah. It's too cold to stay down here."

"You know, I have to say, having the beds warmed for us on nights like this is a very nice perk of going to school here. It doesn't get cold enough in Louisiana for something like that."

Harry chuckled as they began to ascend the stairs. "No, it's about as far from Louisiana as you could get as far as school culture and weather."

0000 Mon, Oct 31

While most everyone was scurrying off to their afternoon lessons, Harry, with Ginny right beside him, cornered Sirius once they'd come upon him out on the school grounds. Pulling in a deep breath to steady himself, he resolutely met his godfather's gaze.

"I want to go to my parents' graves this afternoon. They're at the graveyard next to the little white church in Godric's Hollow."

Sirius seemed to blanch, but nodded solemnly. "I figured as much. Remus told me that he took you there every year. When I learned we'd be here today, I tried to prepare myself to go there, knowing you'd want to go. I've been out here trying to get up the nerve to tell you that you could go; I've already cleared it with Dumbledore and Miss Lena."

"Oh," Harry muttered, feeling relieved he didn't have to fight Sirius on the issue. "That's good. So, let's go, then."

"It's probably a good thing Chris isn't here. I could only get Miss Lena to allow Ginny to go with us."

Harry shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "He's got other things on his mind."

"Or, more accurately," Ginny quipped, "other _people_."

Sirius' brows rose. "So I wasn't imagining things earlier! I thought those two were looking rather friendly."

Nodding, Harry's stunted grin bloomed into fullness. "We had a nice little chat about that last night. Who knows if anything will come of it, but hey … might as well try, right?"

"That's very wise, Harry."

Chuckling, Harry draped his arm over Ginny's shoulders and said, "No, just experience talking."

The three of them left the school grounds in better spirits than when they had met up.

0000

At the cemetery, Harry allowed Sirius the opportunity of being first to the grave markers. He sat on a nearby bench to wait, figuring Sirius had a lot of ground to cover in his chat with his missing friends. Harry hadn't been wrong. He and Ginny huddled together against the biting wind for an hour while Sirius said what he needed to say. The two of them talked softly as they kept watch for anyone who seemed to be out of place.

When Sirius joined them, Harry thought Sirius looked as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. His color had returned, though Harry could see that his godfather had been crying heavily. With a little nod from Sirius, Harry knew things would be okay there. Returning the nod, Harry stood, took Ginny's hand, and made his way over to the graves. Kneeling, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. As he did, he realized their loss didn't overwhelm him as it had in the past. He attributed that to the girl next to him and how much she'd changed his life.

"Hey, Mum, Dad. I managed to come back. Ginny's here with me." He grinned when he felt the gentle squeeze to his hand. "And yes, we're still together. I love her very much and couldn't imagine not having her in my life. Funny how that works, right, Dad? You let her in and she never leaves." Harry laughed when Ginny smacked him in the arm. "She's hitting me now, but I guess I deserved it. And no, Ginny, I never want you to leave."

"Good because you're stuck with me."

Harry's good humor dissipated as his thoughts turned to the reason they were back in England. "I know when I was here in August that I said I likely wouldn't be back today. Well, there's a Triwizard Tournament happening between Hogwarts, Lotus and Dragon, a Chinese school, and Magnolia House, my and Ginny's school. You see, Ginny's mum and two of her brothers have been taken. I received a letter saying that I needed to get into the Tournament to save Ginny's family. So, here we are. Now, Mum, I know you're probably yelling about how dangerous it is. Believe me, I'm fully aware of the danger, but I couldn't sit back and do nothing, and to be honest, I don't think you'd be okay with it if I did."

"He's taking it very seriously," Ginny added. "We're making a list of spells that could be helpful so that he can practice them."

"Besides," Harry picked up the tale, "I've already entered. And yes, things have been arranged between me and my schoolmates so that I'm the one who gets chosen. Speaking of my schoolmates, I have a great school. The people there are welcoming. They know what I am and they still like me. I have a good friend, Chris, who came with me just to support me. Now I know how Uncle Remus felt when you, Dad, had convinced him that you didn't care what he was. Chris was the same way. I told him everything minus the contents of the prophecy, and he said he didn't see me any differently, that he still wanted to be my friend and support me. Mum, before you start in on me, no, I haven't forgotten my friends here, but they didn't accept me immediately like Chris did."

"I'm sorry to say that Harry's right. We didn't and I'm very ashamed of that."

"Don't be, Ginny," Harry said softly, giving her hand a quick squeeze. "I wasn't exactly eager for anyone to approach me." To the silent tombstones, he said, "Oh, and can you believe that I'm actually _not_ the only werewolf at school? Another fourth year _and_ the Headmistress' husband are, too. I'd probably never say this to Sirius' face because his ego would inflate exponentially, but he did well in choosing the school. I really don't think he could have found a better place for Ginny and me."

"Harry, Chris, and I have learned to fight the Muggle way, just in case we find ourselves in a situation in which we couldn't use magic to get out of. Sirius had someone come teach us at school for the first month. Every morning." Ginny gave a little giggle. "I've actually managed to pull Harry forward over my shoulder! And believe me, he's bigger than I am. For the last month, though, we've been learning some old spells."

"Nothing dire," Harry quickly jumped in. "Just bad enough to hurt someone, disorient them, or distract them enough to make it easier for us to get away. Oh, and a great shield spell, one that will encase you in a bubble and move with you. It's brilliant!"

Harry paused to gather his thoughts, looking off in the distance. As today drew nearer, his attitude, he discovered, had changed. All the years growing up, he'd felt compelled to come and talk to his parents, despite how his heart ached when he had to leave them behind again. Now, however, he felt he could let them go. Thanks to his love for Ginny, he'd come to understand that his parents were always with him, no matter where he went. Just as Ginny was a part of him now, so were his parents. They had been all along.

Harry cleared his throat before saying just what he'd been thinking. "Mum, Dad, I don't know that I'll be coming back anymore."

"Harry!" Ginny gasped beside him.

"Just let me say this. Please, Ginny?" At her nod, he continued. "I don't know that I'll be coming back here anymore, or not every year, at any rate. I love you both very much and I miss you so much, but I've realized that you've always been with me." Harry placed a hand flat against his chest, over his heart. "You've always been in here. I know that now." Harry met his girlfriend's shocked gaze. "Ginny's shown me that," he whispered. Again, to the silent, carved stones, he said, "I hope you understand."

Harry smiled when he felt Ginny's free hand caress his cheek. Leaning into the touch, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply before looking over at her. Her smile was just as soft as her touch.

"I think they do understand, Harry," Ginny said, "and are happy that you've come to realize that."

Releasing Ginny's hand, Harry, instead, drew her close to him to kiss her forehead. "It's your doing. I never would have come to that realization if it weren't for you."

"You don't know that, Harry."

"Yes, I do." Sliding his hand up to caress her cheek, Harry looked deeply into Ginny's sincere brown eyes. "I know that just as surely as I know that I love you." Leaning forward, he gently kissed her, and though it was a mere meeting of lips, the emotions behind it spoke volumes. Ending the kiss, Harry turned back to the graves. "Well, we should probably go. They're announcing the champions tonight, and it wouldn't look good to have me almost miss it."

Harry gained his feet, helped Ginny to hers, then said his final goodbye to the cold stone markers. Next to his parents' graves was Uncle Remus' grave. Harry repeated a lot of what he'd said to his parents, ending with how much Harry missed him, but was happy he was with his friends again. With a lighter heart than he usually had after a visit here, he walked back to where Sirius stood.

"Finished already? It's not that late. We can stay longer if you need to."

"No, I'm fine." Harry grinned a bit after he said it. "Honestly. I'm better than I've ever been when I leave here because I've come to understand something. They're not truly gone, not as long as I keep them in my heart. I may not have any direct memories of my parents, but I do have some sense of them, an early feeling about them or something. I have lots of good memories with Uncle Remus, though none of it really matters. As long as I remember those good feelings, then they've not left me."

"You never cease to amaze me, kiddo," Sirius said with a grin and a shake of his head. "I don't know how many times I've said that same exact thing to someone else. Trying to apply it to one's own life, though, is harder than one might think." He ruffled Harry's hair and barked out a laugh. "Come on, then, let's get back to Hogwarts. I'm dying to know how it went with Chris and Hermione."

Harry laughed. "It was just class. It wasn't as if they went on a date or anything." Harry exchanged a mischievous look with Ginny before turning back to his godfather. "You know, if you found your own girl, you wouldn't have to live vicariously through Chris." The comical mix of embarrassment, discomfort, and guilt on Sirius' face had Harry and Ginny nearly doubled over in laughter.

"Nah," Sirius said with a grin. "Where would be the fun in that? I'm enjoying watching you kids muddle your way through the path of adolescence. Well, not you and Ginny. You're not muddling anywhere, so you're less entertaining. I will say this, though. It was sure fun watching you, Harry, try to figure out just what you felt for Stuff, there. You were the complete opposite of James ..."

Sirius continued to talk until they reached the point at which it was safe to Apparate. With each teen holding one of Sirius' arms, the three disappeared, unaware they'd been watched by three smiling, proud figures so faint as to make one question as to whether they were truly there at all.

0000

That night after dinner, the students remained in the Great Hall for the selecting of the champions. As Dumbledore prattled on about magical cooperation and the dangers a champion could face, Harry began chewing his thumbnail in anxiety. He wished Dumbledore would just get on with it already. Harry couldn't help but worry that something might have happened to circumvent their plan. He didn't know what he would do if his name didn't come out of the Goblet tonight. It would spell disaster for Ginny's family, and Harry didn't think he could handle it if they were killed because of him. His stomach rolled at the thought. He suddenly wished he hadn't actually eaten anything at dinner.

"Relax, Harry," Ginny whispered in his ear, her breath tickling him and making him shiver. She placed a hand on his back and rubbed in soothing circles. Her other hand rescued his thumb from his teeth, then dropped below the table to still his bouncing knee. "It will turn out the way it's supposed to. I talked to Miss Lena and decided to change the plan a bit. Everyone else just submitted a blank piece of parchment. You're the only one who submitted a name. That way, no matter what enchantments were placed on the Goblet, you would be chosen."

Harry's tension immediately drained away, a large smile spreading across his face. "I love you." He covered the hand that still rested on his thigh, threading their fingers together. Tuning back into what Dumbledore was saying, Harry realized the first champion was about to be revealed.

"The champion for Lotus and Dragon is ..." Dumbledore caught the small bit of parchment that flew out of the Goblet in a burst of flame. "... the lovely Li Xiu Ying."

The girl in question gracefully stood to the congratulations of her classmates and the polite clapping of the others, then joined Dumbledore at the front of the Hall. The Goblet spit out another piece of parchment with a flash of flame. As Harry watched, Dumbledore caught it, read the name, and Harry was certain he saw the Headmaster's expression harden. When Dumbledore met Harry's gaze, Harry was certain the man wasn't pleased as his normally twinkling blue eyes bored into Harry.

"The champion for Magnolia House is Harry Potter."

Polite clapping came from the Chinese students. Whistles, thumbs up and winks came from Harry's schoolmates, along with grins from Ginny, Ron and Neville. Hermione looked worried. All of Harry's former schoolmates stared in surprise for several seconds before their voices began to buzz. As he stood to join Dumbledore, Harry noticed the gloating smirk on Malfoy's face. Filing that away for later, Harry gave Ginny a kiss on her cheek before joining Dumbledore and the other champion. Harry ignored the displeased look Dumbledore gave him. Instead, he held his head high, even chuckled at the shrill whistles coming from Sirius, who stood next to the Great Hall doors.

The Goblet spewed another stream of fire, spitting out the final piece of parchment, before going dormant until its next use. Dumbledore deftly caught the slip of parchment, read it, then looked toward the Hufflepuff table, his eyes twinkling once more.

"Hogwarts' champion is Cedric Diggory."

The Hufflepuff table erupted into cheers, claps, whoops, and whistles. The majority of the other Hogwarts students joined in the celebration, as did the foreign students. Harry didn't know Cedric personally, but it was obvious the Hufflepuff was well-liked. From what he understood, Hufflepuff seemed to be the House that others discounted as being – to use terms he'd heard Chris use to describe some of the students at Magnolia House – uncool, nerdy, pushovers. Not that Chris had been demeaning, he'd just been trying to help Harry understand some of the terms. Harry thought it a good thing that Hogwarts' champion came from that House. They deserved to have the attention.

Harry was acutely aware of Dumbledore standing behind them, a hand landing on one of Harry's shoulders and tightening ever so slightly. "These are our champions this year," Dumbledore announced. "Please respect them. Do not bother them over much, as they will be busy preparing themselves for the challenges that lie ahead." To the three standing with him, he said, "Please stay here when the others are dismissed. There are things that must be discussed, certain procedures that need to be followed."

Once the student body was dismissed, Dumbledore led the three champions to a room just off the dais that held the staff table, the same room that Harry had entered when meeting the members of the band that had come for the Easter concert. Several people were already inside. Minister Fudge seemed to be in a deep discussion with someone, though Harry didn't know the identity of the man. A brightly-dressed blonde-haired reporter and her photographer were off by themselves, the reporter writing furiously on her notepad as a quill floated beside her, also writing. Mr. Ollivander, looking just as odd and somewhat creepy as he had when Harry had first visited the man's shop to get his wand, stood in another part of the room with a table in front of him that supported a set of scales. The school Heads were also present and each of the champions split to stand next to their Headmaster/mistress.

"You've done well, Harry," Miss Lena said once he'd reached her side. "I commend you on your ability to stay calm and follow through on the course of action we put into place."

Harry snorted. "I wasn't all that calm. I was so afraid something would go wrong and my name wouldn't come out of the Goblet."

Miss Lena smiled. "Well, that's not a worry, now."

"Ginny told me about the change you made. Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Ginny came to me fearful that someone might try to keep you from being chosen." Miss Lena's gaze flicked over to Dumbledore before returning to Harry. "I gathered the others and we came up with the idea of them using blank pieces of parchment. That way, only your name would have been entered. I didn't say anything because there wasn't any reason to. From the expression Dumbledore had when he looked at you, I could see he wasn't pleased."

"No, he wasn't, but that's none of my concern."

"Do you plan on telling him why you've entered?"

"Maybe. Depends on how he acts."

The door opened and Sirius stepped inside. Harry caught the less-than-friendly look Dumbledore shot at him as Sirius joined himself and Miss Lena. "Be careful, Sirius. Dumbledore's not happy."

"Too bad."

A throat cleared. Harry turned to see the unknown man who had been speaking with Minister Fudge now standing tall and official-looking. "My name is Bartemius Crouch and I'm the Head of the International Magical Cooperation department at the British Ministry. I welcome you all to this year's Triwizard Tournament. Champions, you have entered into a binding contract, meaning you _must_ now compete. You have no option of backing out. I daresay that the three of you are well aware of that and didn't enter on a whim." He received his confirmation that those chosen had indeed been fully aware of the danger they'd be in. "This year, we've chosen to do things a bit differently than they've been done in the past. This year, each task will take place at one of the participating schools."

Harry turned to Miss Lena, shocked. "Did you know about that?"

"No, I hadn't a clue. This should be really interesting, then."

Crouch cleared his throat again to garner the attention of those present. "Yes, yes, I know. It's highly irregular. However, our goal _is_ magical cooperation between nations, so what better way to accomplish this than to visit other schools? The tasks have been divided as such: Lotus and Dragon will host the first task, Magnolia House the second task, and Hogwarts the third task. Also, Hogwarts has graciously agreed to host a Yule Ball on Christmas day for any who wish to attend."

Harry glanced over to Miss Lena to ask permission to attend, but he didn't have to. Smiling, she said, "Of course you may attend, Harry. And since you'll be attending, Ginny also has my permission. As for Chris, he'll need to speak to his parents."

Harry smiled, relieved. "Thanks."

"Champions, I must inform you that you don't have a choice. The ball is opened by the Tournament's champions. That's one tradition we will continue to follow. If any of your schoolmates would like to attend, they are welcome to do so."

"Well, so much for asking permission," Harry quipped. "Not sure I like having to open the dance, though." Then, his eyes grew wide. "I don't know how to dance."

"Relax, Harry," Sirius whispered. "You'll learn. Don't worry. You'll be ready."

Once again, Crouch sought everyone's attention. "The only rule we have for this competition is that the champions receive _no_ help from school staff. Please, champions, keep this in mind as you prepare for your tasks. The first task will take place on 24 November. Now, please see Mr. Ollivander to have your wands checked. It wouldn't do to have you in such a dangerous competition with a poorly working wand."

Harry waited patiently while Mr. Ollivander checked the wands of the others. Once they passed and Harry stepped up, Mr. Ollivander eyed him with his disconcerting silver eyes before smiling.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Potter." Ollivander held out his hand for Harry's wand. Examining it closely, he reiterated, "Holly wand. Eleven inches long. Phoenix feather core. Nice and supple. I remember every wand I sell. I believe I told you once that we could expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. You have proven me right."

"But … I haven't done anything."

"Haven't you, Mr. Potter?" Ollivander gave him a knowing smile. "Think on it and you will realize the good things you've already done. There are more things in store for you and I look forward to seeing them come to pass." He weighed Harry's wand, then performed a few spells to check its working order. "Still just as good as the day it was made. I thank you for taking such excellent care of your wand."

Harry took his wand back from the old man, not sure what he was supposed to say. Rather than say something inane, he simply nodded and walked away.

"Oh, Harry!" called a simpering voice. "Over here! We need to get a picture of all the champions for the Daily Prophet!"

Suppressing a groan, Harry joined his fellow champions next to the annoying woman. From the expressions of the others, they didn't seem all that thrilled to be there, either. The woman arranged them several times and instructed her photographer to take multiple pictures. Just when he thought he'd be free, she started asking them each some questions.

"My readers and I want to know what prompted you to enter. Was it the fame? The prize money?" She gave them a flirty wink. "A chance to get to know someone from another part of the world?" Without giving them a chance to answer, she asked Harry, "So, Harry Potter, our famous champion, where have you been? Why did you really leave Hogwarts? Any truth to the rumors about you and the girl?"

Sirius showed up before Harry could say anything, firmly gripping his shoulder. "Come on, Harry, Dumbledore is wanting to talk to you. Ms. Skeeter, it's time for you to move on. As you can see if you would bother to look around, the others have left. You have your photos. That's all you were here for."

Looking around, Harry found that the Minister, Mr. Crouch, and Mr. Ollivander had indeed left. The Chinese Headmaster seemed to be tired of waiting for his student, if his furrowed brow was any indication. Dumbledore was looking impatient to get to that talk that Sirius had mentioned. Harry could guess what was coming, and honestly, he'd just as soon get it over with, himself. He allowed himself to be steered away and back towards Miss Lena and Dumbledore.

Once everyone else had left, Harry braced himself for the coming discussion. He watched Hogwarts' Headmaster pace, hands behind his back. After several seconds, Dumbledore fixed him with a hard gaze, one that Harry intentionally avoided looking directly into.

"Harry, that was most irresponsible of you," he scolded angrily. "You should not have put yourself in harm's way like this. What were you thinking?"

"Now, hold on there, Albus –"

"Albus Dumbledore," Miss Lena cut Sirius off, her temper flaring, "I don't care who you are over here, but I will not tolerate you verbally attacking my student! Either you conduct yourself in a more professional manner or I will end this conversation immediately."

"I am sorry, Mrs. Roux, but there are other factors involved that I fear you have no knowledge of."

"If you're referring to what Harry faces in his future, then I know enough. However, what you don't know is that there's extenuating circumstances at work here. Harry hasn't done this on the spur of the moment. Regardless, you _will_ be polite and courteous to him or I'll instruct him to have no further contact with you."

"You cannot do that."

"Maybe she can't," Sirius jumped in, "but I can. And that applies to Ginny, as well, since I'm still her legal guardian."

"While away from their parents, _I_ am the legal guardian of my other students. They _will_ do as I ask. Now, you may continue if you'll be civil."

Harry had heard enough. If Dumbledore had politely inquired as to why he'd entered the Tournament, then Harry would have obliged him with a response. Since that turned out not to be the case, Harry felt no compunction to stay in the conversation.

"Actually, Miss Lena, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to say goodbye to my friends since we will be leaving soon." Receiving his permission, Harry turned back to Dumbledore. "All you had to do was ask, to be polite to me. Since you couldn't be, I see no reason to drag this out any further."

"You do not understand, Harry."

"I understand better than you think, sir. I understand that you think you know what's best for everyone, regardless of what they might want or feel. You see things in black and white. It's either this or it's that. In reality, it's almost always a neutral shade of gray. I used to think like you do, but I've come to realize that it's to my detriment to think that way. Good evening, sir. I don't think I'll be seeing you again until Christmas."

With that, Harry left the room to find his friends. He didn't have far to go. His upperclassmen, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Chris, and Ginny all waited for him by the Great Hall's doors. Ginny ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him. Harry's tension eased as he pulled her close, dropped his head to hers and inhaled, her flowery scent wrapping him in peace, love and comfort. 

After a minute, Harry stepped back. "Thanks. I feel much better now."

"That's what I'm here for," Ginny impishly quipped. Sobering, she studied him closely. "You looked like you needed a hug. What happened in there?"

"Dumbledore. He started in on me, telling me I was being irresponsible for entering the Tournament."

"What?!" came several exclamations.

Harry grinned as he replayed Miss Lena's defense in his mind. "You should have seen Miss Lena, though. Told him off for being rude and that he _would_ be polite or the chat was over, even going so far as to say that she'd forbid us to have contact with him."

Ron's jaw dropped, then he let out a little whoop of delight. "I would have loved to have seen that."

"It's a good thing _I_ wasn't in there," Ginny declared. "He still would be trying to avoid the bats."

Harry laughed outright. "I almost wish you _had_ been there, but it doesn't matter. He doesn't know why I entered and it's going to stay that way. If he'd asked nicely, I might have told him, but he didn't and now he has to deal with it." Harry shrugged, obviously not caring about Dumbledore and his problem. "I did learn that each task will be at different schools."

"Really? How exciting!"

"You mean, we'll only be able to watch one of the tasks?"

"How exactly is that going to work?"

Harry answered the questions, starting with Hermione. "Yes, really. Lotus and Dragon has the first task, Magnolia House has the second, and Hogwarts has the third. Hogwarts is also hosting the Yule Ball and the champions will be there, plus anyone else who wishes to attend. Ron, it looks that way, unless they set up some way of watching them from a screen. They used something similar at the Quidditch World Cup, so maybe they'll do it again here. As far as how it'll work, Neville, I don't really know. I imagine we'll arrive at the school a few days before the tasks to adjust to any time differences."

"Well, Hermione," Ginny said with a wink, "just be ready at Christmas."

Hermione blushed, her gaze shyly sliding to Chris. "Yeah. I will be."

"So, you're leaving tonight then?" Neville reaffirmed.

"Yeah. It's only early afternoon there. We'll need the extra time to readjust again."

"That makes sense."

Harry suddenly found himself engulfed in a huge hug, brown bushy hair in his face. "Oh, Harry, I wish you didn't have to go." Just as quickly as the hug came, it moved on to Ginny. "But I understand. I'm going to miss you both. It was nice having you back for a few days."

"We'll be back at Christmas for the Yule Ball," Ginny reminded her friend.

"I know. It just seems so far away."

Harry stepped away from his friends to join the older students from his school. "Look, I don't think I ever truly thanked you for being willing to fake your entries into the Tournament."

"Hey, man, don't worry about it. We were happy to help."

"Right. If there's anything we can do to help you out, some spells or something, let us know."

A slow grin stretched across his face. "Well, they did say that it was against the rules to get help from school staff, so I might just take you up on that. Thanks again."

The Great Hall doors opened admitting Fred and George. Fred joined Harry while George went to Ginny and hugged her. Fred, grinning almost evilly, stood next to Harry and slipped something into his hand.

"What's this?" Harry asked as he looked at the small yellow vial and tiny, rolled parchment in his hands.

"That is for later. You know, when you're completely stressed and need a laugh?"

"What does it do?"

"That, mate, is something you'll have to find out for yourself."

"Okay, so how do I use it, then?"

"Everything you need to know is on that parchment. Now, I should go say goodbye to my baby sister, do my big brother duties and tell her to keep up the good work in keeping you in line."

He gave Harry a teasing wink, a playful slap on his shoulder, then walked off. Harry couldn't help but laugh. Ginny's prankster brothers were always fun to be around, though one had to stay on their guard at all times. As he thought that last bit, Harry pulled on the shoulder of his shirt where he'd been smacked to see if Fred had left some embarrassing note or something. He didn't see anything, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything there. He wouldn't put it past the twins to make something invisible to their target but visible to everyone else.

Turning his back to his schoolmates, Harry asked, "Is there anything there? The twins are notorious for pranking. I don't fancy walking around with something seriously embarrassing on my back."

"No, man, you're clean," one of the boys said, sounding amused.

"Okay, thanks."

The door to the little room off the dais opened again, expelling Sirius, Miss Lena, and Dumbledore. All three looked to Harry as if some angry shouting had taken place. He caught Sirius' eye, but only received a shake of his head in response. What could have happened after he'd left? Harry didn't think anything else could possibly have been said, but apparently, there had been things left to say. Pocketing the little gift from Fred and George, Harry returned to his friends.

Miss Lena pulled out a piece of parchment, then tapped it with her wand. "It's time to go. We'll talk more when we get back. Gather round, now."

Harry said quick goodbyes to George, Neville, and Ron. "Oh, and be careful of Malfoy. He was smirking when my name was called. He's involved in all of this somehow."

"We will. You be careful, too."

Harry chuckled. "No need to, Hermione." Gripping tightly to Ginny's hand, he pinched the parchment with his other one, an action Ginny mirrored.

Those staying at Hogwarts backed up a few feet and waved, as those leaving finished gathering around and getting a hand or finger on the parchment. Harry gave his friends a final nod of farewell, then closed his eyes as swirls of color and nearly gale-force winds rushed them back to Magnolia House.


	18. Freshen the Mind

_**Wherever wind visits, there it freshens the air; wherever wisdom visits, there it freshens the mind!  
― Mehmet Murat ildan **_

_**HARRY POTTER RETURNED TO HOGWARTS! By Rita Skeeter**_

 _ **All of you, dear readers, have been clamoring for information on the whereabouts of Harry Potter after his rather unorthodox departure from Hogwarts in June. Sit back and relax. I have all the juicy details! As you know, there is to be a Triwizard Tournament between Hogwarts and two other schools. One of those schools is from China. The other, my lovely readers, is from America. I saw with my very own eyes Harry Potter and the Weasley girl with the students from America! As you'll recall, there was much speculation as to why the Boy Who Lived and the girl really left. I've interviewed several of the pair's schoolmates from Hogwarts and have received a variety of answers. Several have said the pair had been less than discreet in their behavior resulting in an unwanted consequence. There appears to be no physical evidence of that, unless a special Disillusionment Charm has been used. It has been said that the Boy Who Lived was seen kissing a Hogwarts girl! It's possible he's grown tired of the Weasley girl and is looking to others now. I asked him about the rumors, and he simply looked at me, pain glistening in his impossibly green eyes. It's this reporter's opinion that he's being kept from the school his parents once attended. Why else would he stay away?**_

 _ **Another tidbit of news that might interest you is this. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, entered and was chosen to be one of the Triwizard champions! Perhaps there's some truth to the circulating rumors after all. One of the rewards for winning is a cash prize. Could it be that's what young Potter is after? To help support an accident? Time will tell, dear readers, and so will I.**_

Molly looked down at the Daily Prophet's front page article, rereading it for the tenth time since it had been left within her sight. The man who had brought it seemed to delight in reading it to her, emphasizing all the nasty things Skeeter said. Then, he conjured a table, placed the newspaper in front of her and left, laughing. Molly shook her head, cringing at the reporter's blatant speculation on the relationship between Harry and Ginny. She'd seen it all before, back when the story of the pair's absence from Hogwarts first broke, but it still upset her. For the tenth time, Molly tried to swipe the offending piece of journalism from her sight, but all she managed to do was make her wrists bleed from the chafing of the bindings keeping her arms immobile against her chair arms.

Molly felt like crying out in frustration but didn't want to give her captors the satisfaction of her distress. She focused on the last section of the article. Harry had entered the Tournament? And had been chosen? Why hadn't Sirius stopped the boy from doing something so … so … Molly sighed. She knew of the letter threatening Bill, Charlie, and her lives, but he still shouldn't have been allowed to enter that stupid Tournament. But then, if he was anything like Ginny – and Molly was certain he was – Harry could be very determined when it came to certain things. She could picture his arms folded across his chest, jaw clenched, obstinate expression on his face. She actually chuckled at the mental picture; it was very reminiscent of how she'd seen Ginny on many occasions.

Her good humor evaporated rather quickly as she thought about her recent talks with Ginny. She'd fought with her over the way she had worn her hair, thinking it too mature for her thirteen-year-old daughter. As she remembered how Ginny had worn her hair, Molly had to admit it looked really nice on her – and truly the hairstyle hadn't been all that outrageous. It was just seeing Ginny wear her hair in something other than a plait or ponytail had taken Molly by surprise. She'd been hit over the head with the fact that her daughter was definitely growing up, and she hadn't been prepared for that realization. Now, she couldn't wait to see Ginny and apologize for her motherly assertions, to tell her that she was becoming a very pretty young lady. Molly just hoped that Harry survived whatever these people had in store for him, for it was obvious he was the one they were after. The first chance she received, she planned to hold tightly to Harry, thank him for what he'd done, then drown the boy in treacle tarts until he was sick of them.

0000 Thurs Nov 3

On Thursday, Harry awakened to his alarm and prepared for their early morning "class." They'd learned some interesting spells so far, not to mention how to think on their feet for real dueling situations, combining physical and magical elements. A quick glance at his calendar reminded Harry that it was also Sirius' birthday today. Telling Chris they'd meet up in the commons area, Harry slipped out of his room, hoping to catch Miss Lena before Sirius made an appearance.

"Oh, Harry! Come here for a moment, would you?"

Turning at the voice, Harry saw Mrs. Cole motioning him over. "Did you need me for something?" he asked once he'd joined her.

"Just for a moment. Remember I've been working on a desensitizing pine wood solution for you using Ginny's perfume?" Harry nodded. He'd wondered if she'd made any progress. Apparently, she had. She went on. "I need you to try smelling something. I think I have it sufficiently weakened for you. Let's see if what I have affects you in any way. If it does, I'll weaken the scent further. If it doesn't, then we can begin there."

"Sure. Okay."

He followed her over to a shelf, then took the small vial of pale yellow liquid that she handed him. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, Harry uncorked the tiny bottle and lifted it to his nose.

"Well, since you've yet to begin sneezing, I think it's safe to say that we've found a starting point."

Harry rubbed at his nose. The tingle was there, but as Mrs. Cole pointed out, he hadn't sneezed yet, so he was inclined to agree with her. "Yeah, I think so, too. I mean, I feel like I _could_ sneeze at some point. You know that little tingling feeling? But this is a huge improvement already."

"Good. Then, we'll just use this strength until it doesn't affect you at all. Every day, I want you to come in and sniff this. We'll take it a day at a time."

"Okay. Sounds good. Thanks, Mrs. Cole."

"You're welcome, Harry. I'm here to help – in whatever capacity I can."

Harry left the Infirmary hoping to catch Miss Lena in her office. As luck would have it, she was there. "Miss Lena, can I ask something of you?"

"Certainly, Harry. What did you need?"

"Well, it's Sirius' birthday today. I was hoping we could do something for him. Have a cake or something."

"Excellent idea. I'll talk to the house-elves. Any particular flavor?"

Harry thought about it a moment, surprised to realize he didn't know if Sirius actually had a preference. "Er, chocolate, I guess. Probably can't go wrong with that."

"No, I don't suppose you can. Alright. Chocolate it is, then." Miss Lena hesitated a brief moment before asking, "How are you doing, Harry? Readjusting alright?"

"Oh, er, yeah. We tried to keep as close to our schedule here as far as bedtimes. It's taken a couple of days but I'm fine now."

"Good. Well, you'd best go on. I'm sure they're waiting on you."

"Right. Thanks, for Sirius."

"You're quite welcome, Harry," Miss Lena said with a genuine smile.

As Harry left the office, he spied Ginny entering the commons area. She didn't look very awake, which was unusual now. Concerned, Harry walked over to her and made to feel her forehead, the exact same thing she'd done for him a time or two. She, however, wasn't in the mood for it. She jerked away from his hand, a scowl on her face.

"Don't, Harry. I'm fine."

Harry figured he should probably hold his tongue, but he was worried so he risked bearing the brunt of her wrath. "Are you sure? You look a bit peaky."

"Yes, I'm fine," Ginny all but snapped. Then, she sighed. "I'm going to see Mrs. Cole for a minute. I'll be out as soon as I'm done."

Okay, now Harry was truly concerned. Ginny almost never sought out medical help. The only times he'd known her to do so was when she truly felt awful. "Do you want me to go with you? Or to wait here?"

To his confusion, she blushed rather spectacularly. "Er, no, you don't need to be there. I promise, Harry. It's nothing for you to worry about. I'm fine, really. I just need something is all." She must have seen his skepticism because she elaborated – without really elaborating. "Girl stuff, okay?"

"Oh." The memory of his little chat with Sirius when Ginny had accidentally been transported back to the Burrow bubbled up to the surface of his mind. Heat suffused his cheeks and the tips of his ears. "Oh! Er, okay." He cleared his throat, his gaze sliding away from Ginny to the front doors, the commons area, and then the floor. "Well, er, in that case, then, I'll, er, let you go. I'll, er, see you outside." Without waiting for a response, Harry dashed for the doors that stood between him and his freedom.

0000

After dinner, which contained a rousing rendition of the Happy Birthday song to Sirius and a special chocolate cake for dessert, Ginny disappeared with Raven and Amelie for what Ginny had called 'girl time', while Harry and Chris finished their Herbology essays on Bouncing Bulbs. Once that was done, Harry pulled out the book he'd received from Gringotts on his family's history and began to read. With everything that had been happening, he'd forgotten about it. It seemed to start with the last generation and work its way backward.

"Whoa! Chris, look at this!" Harry handed the book over to his friend, finger on the section he wanted to draw attention to.

Chris read the section, then looked up at Harry, brows raised in amazement. "Dude! Your grandfather created Sleekeazy's Hair Potion?! That's, like, the most popular hair potion out there! My mom's used it a few times, and I've heard several of the girls here talking about it. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I would have if I'd known! Uncle Remus never really told me much about my money, just that it came from my parents. Reading this, I guess most of it came from Dad's side of the family. I never really had the chance to sit down with my account manager to go over everything." Harry took the book back and looked down at the black text that shed some light on his family's finances. "I guess I should have made the time."

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but _Fleamont_? Really? I imagine he _had_ to do something impressive to take everyone's attention away from his name."

"Well, it says here he was really good at dueling," Harry said, reading the excerpt on his grandfather. "He was given the name in the hopes of keeping his grandmother's maiden name alive."

"Oh." Chris looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Harry said with grin. " _Fleamont_ is a really odd name. I'm glad my Dad didn't feel the need to give that name to me. Oh, and my grandmother's name isn't much better. It's Euphemia. I'd love to meet them, to talk to them, but I'm so glad the tradition of picking odd names was gone by the time I was born."

"I hear that," Chris said emphatically with a laugh.

Harry went back to reading about his ancestors, studying the pictures of each of them closely, looking for any resemblance he might have had with them, and he found that he shared lots of features with them. Apparently, the messy black hair, average nose, playful grin, and mischievous twinkle in the astigmatic eyes were passed down quite a bit because each successive generation highly resembled the one before it, with minor changes likely contributed by their mothers. Harry even found someone who had knobby knees like his own!

The more he read about the Potters, the more he marveled at his forefathers. His great-grandfather Henry, who Harry had likely been named for as Henry's friends called him Harry, had served on the Wizengamot and had stood up for his belief that the Wizarding community should help the Muggles during their First World War. Many of the Potters, the book said, helped Muggles by giving them medicinal potions.

"I've got a famous author for a relative!" Harry suddenly cried in amazement, giving a little laugh. "She was a Squib. She took her knowledge about the Wizarding world and wrote children's stories for Muggles, mainly about a rabbit." Harry fell back against his chair in surprise. "I've read her stories, but never made the connection. I just thought Potter was a common name for Muggles."

Chris dropped his quill and stared at Harry a moment in disbelief. "Wait. Wait. Wait. Hold on. You're also related to _her_? I've read her stories, too. Probably a lot of us have. They're very well-known here. Damn, Harry, I think I'm jealous. I don't have anyone famous in my family history."

Harry shrugged. "At least you know about your family history, though," he said with a vague wave at the book before him.

The teasing grin slid from Chris' face. "That's true. I can't imagine what it's like to have to read about it. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Harry said, shrugging again. "It's not as if it's anything new. At least I'm getting to learn something about the people who came before me, right?"

Chris nodded. "Right." He picked up his quill and returned to his homework.

Harry read on. Another Potter, Ralston, was adamantly against warring with Muggles and supported the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy when it was brought before the Wizengamot back in the 1600s. Not that it mattered, but Harry felt honored to have come from a long line of people who were willing to help others.

Turning the page, Harry came across an odd-looking, somewhat smudged symbol written at the bottom left. The symbol consisted of a triangle with a vertical line down the center and a circle inside the triangle. There was no explanation as to what it meant or why it had been drawn there. He showed it to Chris.

"Have you seen this symbol before? Someone drew it onto the page."

After taking a good look, Chris shook his head. "No, sorry. I've never seen it before. I wonder what it means. Odd that it would have been drawn in there."

"That's what I was thinking. It doesn't look like a rune of any kind, but it could be, I suppose. I'll have to ask Miss Raido. Maybe she can tell me what it is."

Eagerly, Harry continued reading, a large smile in place. He couldn't wait to show Ginny everything he'd discovered.

0000

While Harry was enjoying his walk down ancestry lane, Ginny was in her room playing guinea pig to her roommates, not that she minded. The three of them had agreed to pretend they were in a bubble, blocking out everything that had to do with the outside world. Raven had played with Ginny's hair, finding several more styles that Ginny loved. With her hair still in its last style of curls bunched prettily and pinned to her head, Amelie had taken over the makeup department.

Finished with Ginny's eyes, Amelie grinned. "Wow, Ginny. You're beautiful. Too bad a certain someone isn't able to see you like this."

Ginny caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and her jaw dropped. "Is that …? Is that really me?"

The colors Amelie had used on her eyes were natural shades of brown that made Ginny's bright brown eyes appear to glow. The makeup wasn't heavy at all, just enough to make her eyes stand out. The powder her friend had used on Ginny's face was very sheer, allowing her myriad freckles to show through, muted a bit though they were. Ginny couldn't believe what she was seeing in the mirror. She'd never thought of herself as beautiful, despite Harry telling her so. Now, she _felt_ beautiful, she felt more mature, and she felt like crying in gratitude to her friends. She didn't, however, for fear of ruining all of Amelie's hard work.

"So, what do you think? Do you like it?" Amelie asked after a minute or two.

"Like it? No. I love it! It's so amazing! I never knew I could look beautiful!"

Amelie's expression darkened a bit. "Ginny, don't ever let me hear you say that you're not beautiful. You are. The makeup, when done right, simply enhances what you already have."

"Amelie's right, Ginny," Raven said, nodding. "I'm jealous that you have such a natural beauty."

Ginny whirled to face Raven. "You _do_ have a natural beauty. You don't need makeup at all. Your eyes are a gorgeous color that complements your hair perfectly."

Raven shook her head. "I'm too pale. I look like death warmed over if I don't use something to give me a bit of color."

"Well, I think you're gorgeous just as you are." Ginny chuckled. "One day, some boy will take a look at you and fall at your feet."

"I hope so."

Amelie giggled. "Like Harry did?"

Ginny snorted, with a roll of her eyes. "More like I fell at his – after he knocked me over. Twice."

"Ohhhh! Do tell!" Amelie begged, as she began gathering lip colors and nail polishes. "You've never told us exactly how things came about for you two."

So Ginny recounted the story of how she and Harry kept bumping into each other, how he'd spoken up for her against some bullies, and how she'd begun to sit with him at meals, undeterred by the fact that he didn't talk to her, or barely even looked at her.

"Ah, so you wore him down." Raven chuckled.

Ginny nodded, a huge grin on her face. "I did. He says I made him feel guilty for not talking to me. You have to remember, he didn't want to be at Hogwarts with a bunch of people who represented those who had rejected him time and time again, so he refused to talk to anyone. One day, I started telling him about my prankster twin brothers and one of the pranks they pulled against a professor who is very disliked by nearly all the students." Ginny smiled fondly at the memory. "It made him laugh – and I don't think he had done a lot of that before. It drew him out of his shell."

Amelie sighed dreamily. "That's so sweet. It's like a fairy tale."

Ginny chuckled and held up her arm, showing her tattoo. "Yeah, Beauty and the Beast."

The other two girls laughed at that. Amelie continued to say, "I still think it's sweet and utterly romantic. You two so perfectly balance the other. _Beauté et sa Bête_."

Ginny blushed, but couldn't keep from beaming. "Thanks."

"Tell me to mind my own business if you want," Raven started, grinning fiendishly with brows raised, "but you two seem a lot … closer … since you came back from Hogwarts. Anything you want to tell us?"

The memory of what she and Harry had done, as well as how she'd felt, came rushing back to Ginny. She bit her lip as she attempted to keep the color out of her cheeks. Should she say anything? Would Harry mind? In all honesty, she'd like to talk about it with someone other than Hermione. While her bushy-haired friend had eventually loosened her stance on what Ginny had told her had happened, Hermione had still been quick to scold. It was as if it was the girl's automatic reaction to everything she thought was inappropriate. Ginny didn't think she'd get the same response from either Raven or Amelie.

"You don't have to say anything if you'd rather not," Raven assured Ginny.

Ginny's gaze jumped between the girls for a moment before making her decision. "Well, we kind of did _it,_ without actually _doing_ it, if you know what I mean."

It took a few seconds before Raven caught on and she grinned again. "The motions were there, but so were the clothes."

"Exactly." Ginny nodded, unable to hide her answering Cheshire Cat grin. "It was an amazing experience." Her dreamy expression cleared somewhat as she went on to explain. "It only happened because … well, because of Harry's lycanthropy. He needed it. Don't get me wrong, I wanted it just as badly, but Harry actually _needed_ it. I won't go into more detail."

"Fair enough," Raven said with a tipping of her head in acknowledgment. "I'm still very jealous. A boyfriend _and_ experiencing something so personal and exciting." She shook her head good-naturedly. "You're one lucky girl."

"And it wasn't weird to feel … er, him, you know, like that?" Amelie awkwardly asked. "I would have thought it would have been."

Ginny shook her head vehemently. "Definitely not, but I imagine it could be weird if it's not with the right person. You know, if you're not … well, the feelings are hard to explain. If you're not feeling the, er, need, I guess you could say, then doing something like that could be very awkward."

"I can't wait until I find the right person, then," Amelie said with a dreamy smile. "Alright, well, back to what we were doing. We've got your hair done, your eyes done, now for your lips and fingers. For your lips, I think a nice peachy coral color would look beautiful. I have a sheer, glossy color that would be perfect."

"Your coloring and mine are so different. How is it that you happen to have everything that would look good on me?"

Sheepishly, Amelie admitted, "When you mentioned a while back that you might want to try some makeup, I bought some things that I thought would work for you. I prefer to use the actual products rather than the charms. You can experiment so much easier that way. I didn't get much, though. Some of this, I already had from when I was experimenting for myself."

"Oh. You didn't have to do that. Let me pay you back for all the money you spent."

Amelie waved her hand. "It was nothing. I wanted to do it. Now, you'll have your own stuff. What good is learning what you like if you can't keep wearing it? Now, no more talking, especially of things outside this room. Let's do your lips."

Once she had finished, Ginny looked in the mirror again. She couldn't believe how good she looked! Her lips had a nice warm, glossy sheen. She beamed up at her friend. "I love it! You definitely have to show me how do this!" She waved a hand at her made-up face. "Is this for every day? Or should I only wear it for special occasions?"

"Oh, no, this is definitely daily wear. Don't worry. I have every intention of teaching you how to do this yourself. Now, lay your hand flat on the table and we'll do your nails. I'm thinking this pretty, warm bronze color."

Ginny shrugged, complying with the instruction. "You'd know better than me. I do think the color is pretty. Let's do this."

By the time she was ready for bed, Ginny had learned how to apply her own make-up, how to style her hair, and how to put on the nail polish, though using her left hand was still a bit awkward. She knew that was something that would take practice to get right. She snuggled into her bed with a grin. She couldn't wait to see Harry's expression in the morning.

0000

 _Harry found himself alone at the beach, staring out at the ocean. A nice breeze ruffled his hair, making it wave, just like the water before him. He had no idea how or why he was there. He could only hope that Ginny would show up soon and they could play in the surf. Maybe that's why he was there. Looking down at himself, to his dismay, he wasn't dressed for water play. Then again, maybe that wasn't why he was there. Standing in place, he scanned the area around him, turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees._

 _Harry startled violently when he faced forward and found a man standing in front of him. The stranger cut an impressive figure as his medium olive skin contrasted sharply with his crisp white military uniform. Across the left chest hung triangular, circular, and bar-shaped medals. His short dark hair was covered by a military hat. Harry felt insignificantly small compared to the unfamiliar man's broad-shouldered frame. The stranger remained silent, just stared at Harry with his striking ocean green eyes, and Harry felt as if the man could see straight to Harry's soul, judging him._

 _Feeling it was a test of some sort, Harry met the newcomer's intense gaze without wavering. For a brief moment, Harry thought about asking who the man was, but something told him to hold his tongue. He didn't feel threatened at all, and that thought made Harry even more curious about his visitor. Who could he be? What was he doing? To Harry's surprise, the stranger removed his hat, revealing black, wavy hair that immediately began dancing in the breeze. To Harry's further surprise, the stranger opened his mouth and spoke to him, his voice soft yet authoritative, ebbing and flowing like the sea._

" _Harry Potter, your lot in life has not always been easy, and it will only become more difficult the closer to your ultimate goal you become. You will need help. You have seen the symbol. You must decipher its meaning if you want to survive your task."_

 _For several seconds, Harry could only stare. Stuttering, he asked, "How-how did you know my name and what I'm facing? How are you even here?" He reached up to touch the runes drawn on his neck. "These are supposed to keep my mind clear of any invasions."_

" _While your protections will keep out those with lesser strength, they are no match for me. Fear not. I mean you no harm. I merely aim to guide you to what you need. As for how I know you and what you face, I have seen it. It's radiated in your eyes, if only one takes the time to look. The symbol represents three objects that, when together, will make the bearer the Master of Death. Find those three objects before undertaking your prophesied task and your life may be spared."_

 _Harry's breath caught in his throat and had to forcibly push his next words across his lips. "May? May be spared? Are you saying that I'll certainly die without them?"_

" _No. I cannot be certain of your fate, but these three objects put the odds more in your favor. Many seek them. Only two have been found."_

" _What are these objects? Where are they? How do I get them?"_

" _That I cannot say, but they are closer than you think."_

 _Feeling a little frustrated, Harry blurted out, "Well, at least tell me what that symbol is. You obviously know of it."_

" _I do know of it. I've seen it many times, have heard of it many more times. I do not know what name it is called. I do know that two of the items have been revealed to you. Search your memories and you will find them."_

 _Harry thought he heard someone call his name and he turned to look. No one was there. Facing front, he discovered the stranger had disappeared as if he'd dissolved into a salty mist and blown away on the breeze._

Harry startled awake. What had he just dreamed? Talk about odd. At least it hadn't been frightening like his previous ones. Checking the time, he found he still had another three hours before he had to get up. Dropping his head back to his pillow, he ran a hand over his face, sighed, then put the dream out of his mind so that he could get back to sleep. Rolling onto his side, he forced himself to relax. Before long, sleep claimed him, the odd dream forgotten.

0000 Nov 4 Friday

The next morning, eager to share the contents of his dream with Chris and Ginny, Harry dressed quickly. Almost impatiently, he waited for Chris to finish dressing so they could walk out to the commons area together.

"I had the weirdest dream last night." Harry caught the concerned look Chris threw him and laughed. "It was nothing like that, I promise. Once Ginny joins us, I'll tell you about it."

"I thought the runes were supposed to block these dreams."

Harry nodded. "I did too, but he said he was stronger than the runes."

"He? Someone spoke to you?"

"Yeah. I'll explain everything."

However, when Harry saw Ginny, explaining his dream was the last thing on his mind. Her eyes were droopy, her complexion more pale than usual. Her shoulders sagged. Harry made his way over to her but was stopped before he could get within six feet of her.

"Stop, Harry," she commanded tiredly in a scratchy voice. "Don't come any closer to me."

"What? Why? Are you okay?" His response was a quick pair of sneezes.

Ginny sniffled a few times. "No, not at the moment I'm not. After I see Mrs. Cole, I'll be better. I just don't want you getting sick. You know how you are when you do."

Harry advanced a few steps, which made Ginny back up the same number. "Ginny, come on. I'm not going to get sick. Let's get you to the Infirmary."

"You don't know that, Harry. You can't afford to miss a week of our morning sessions or classes. They're too important."

Ginny sneezed a few more times, giving Harry the opportunity to close the distance between them and take her in his arms. She tried to push him away but Harry was strong enough to keep that from happening. With a quick nod of his head to Chris to go on outside, Harry walked Ginny over to Mrs. Cole's domain.

"I see she's succumbed as well," Mrs. Cole said, the instant Harry stepped inside with Ginny. "She isn't the only one. Nasty round of colds currently." She pointed to a bed. "Bring her over here."

"I'm fine," Ginny croaked. "Nothing a dose of Pepper-Up Potion won't cure. Harry's the one I'm more concerned about."

Mrs. Cole scrutinized Harry a moment. "How are you feeling, Harry? Any sniffles? Any sore throats?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Well, you won't be if you stay here with me," Ginny groused. "In fact, it's likely now to be a matter of time. I've probably contaminated you."

Mrs. Cole smiled indulgently as she waved her wand over Ginny. "More than likely, you contaminated him, as you put it, three days ago. Staying with you or away from you at this point won't make any difference."

"See? I'm not feeling the least bit ill, so I'm good."

Mrs. Cole, finished with her diagnostics of Ginny, ran her wand over Harry, then nodded. "Yes, he's fine, Ginny. If he was going to get sick, he would have done so already." She went to her cabinet, pulled out a potion bottle filled with a reddish liquid and a small vial. She returned to Ginny and measured out a dose. "Here you go. This should have you right as rain in no time."

Ginny took the vial, but before she drank the potion, she turned to Harry. "Go or you'll be late. I'm going to be fine. I might skip this morning though."

"Are you sure? I can stay here if you want me to."

"No. Don't leave Chris by himself. Besides, whatever you go over today, you can teach me later."

"It's probably just the obstacle course exercise we've been doing."

"Maybe so, but it's a challenge remembering all the spells we've learned and checking our reflexes with the friendly and non-friendly dummies popping out at us everywhere. It's good practice, and you never know what skill you might need later on."

Harry held up his hands in surrender. "Yeah, alright, alright. I get it. Okay, then, I'll see you at breakfast." Giving Ginny a quick kiss, to which Ginny huffed and told him he shouldn't be pressing his luck, Harry hurried out to the front of the school to meet up with Chris.

0000

"You're dreaming again?" Ginny asked, staring at Harry in fear. "Harry, you're not supposed to be having those kinds of dreams again. The runes were supposed to stop it."

Harry finished his bite of peanut butter and maple syrup-slathered pancake – something Chris had coaxed him into trying – before seeking to ease Ginny's concern. "I don't think it was like that. I didn't feel any danger at all. He was trying to help me. He said there were three things that would help me when the time came to do what I have to do – later on. He said I just had to find them, and that I've already seen two of them. I just have figure out what that symbol is that I found in my Potter Ancestry book. That symbol will lead me to the items."

Ginny didn't appear convinced. "I don't know, Harry. Maybe you should say something to someone about it. Talk to Miss Raido since she gave you the runes to begin with. Maybe they need strengthening."

A little annoyed, Harry huffed. "I'm telling you, it's not like it was before. Whoever this is now is helping me, and honestly, I could use all the help I could get." He looked away a moment, then admitted to the part he hadn't mentioned previously. "He said it was a good probability that I would die without them."

Ginny gasped and grabbed his hand. "Harry! Why didn't you say that earlier? If there's even the smallest amount of truth to that, then we _have_ to take this seriously. Wait, what symbol?"

"In my book, I found this symbol at the bottom of one of the pages. It was a triangle with a vertical line down the center of it and a circle inside it."

Ginny's expression turned to puzzlement. "Weird. I've never seen a symbol like that before. It doesn't sound like a rune, either."

Harry shook his head. "I didn't think so, either, but I'll talk to Miss Raido about it, see what she says."

"Harry, what did this person look like?"

Meeting Chris' gaze, Harry could see the wheels turning in his friend's brain. "He was tall, had broad shoulders, short dark hair and green eyes the color of the ocean. He had on a white military uniform, which really confused me."

"Wait a minute," Chris said, his gaze sharpening on Harry. "Did he have a complexion similar to Miss Lena's?"

"Yeah, he did. How did you know?"

"I think I know who your visitor was, though I'm a bit surprised he showed himself to you. Usually, he only takes an interest in sailors. Although, I guess he does help anyone who needs guidance when they're in turmoil or indecisive."

"So, who was he?" Harry asked, curious now.

"He's known as Papa Agwe, a spirit who lords over the ocean and its inhabitants or those who make their living on the ocean." Chris shrugged. "I guess being this close to the ocean, and with everything you have to face, you caught his attention. You can rest assured that he really doesn't mean you any harm."

"That's good to know. I guess I'll just listen to him, then. I need to try to find out what that symbol means and the objects it represents."

Finished with her cereal, Ginny pushed her bowl away. "Well, we have options. We can talk to Miss Raido, we can ask Sirius, and there's one person we know who is absolutely brilliant at research."

Harry grinned as he looked over at his girlfriend. "Hermione. There's bound to be more information over there since that's where the Potters originated. Hogwarts' library is extensive. Maybe she'll find something."

"Send her a letter at lunch," Ginny suggested. "I'm sure Hedwig would be glad to have something to do."

"Yeah, I think I will."

The morning bell rang, signaling the beginning of the day's classes. Students scattered, some running back towards their rooms to grab school bags, while others rushed out the back door. The crowd outside divided into two, most going to the classroom building, and the few others either heading for the greenhouse or to the corral for Care of Magical Creatures.

At the door of the school building, Harry stopped to say goodbye to Ginny, who had Potions first hour while he had Herbology. Leaning down, he placed his cheek against hers, closing his eyes as he inhaled the flowery scent he'd forever associate with her. Turning just slightly, he sought out her lips for a short but tender kiss.

"I'll see you after class," he whispered, inhaling her scent again as if this last time had to sustain him for days before stepping back.

Ginny smiled tenderly at him. "Two hours, Harry. I'll see you in two hours. Now, we need to get to class."

"Right," Harry said, with a sheepish chuckle. He walked two steps, returned to Ginny, cupped her face, and kissed Ginny again, this time with a bit more passion than their previous one. Once he pulled away, he ran a thumb over her lips. "I've messed up your makeup. Sorry." He leaned close to whisper in her ear. "It looks fantastic. I literally couldn't breathe for several moments when I saw you at breakfast." With that, Harry kissed her ear, then walked away in the direction of the greenhouse, leaving a jubilant Ginny behind him.

0000 Thurs Nov19

Harry cursed under his breath as he felt the Stinging Hex hit his leg. He'd been too slow again. Granted, it was the day before the full moon, and therefore, he was feeling pretty awful, but he'd thought he'd get through the course hex free this time. Obviously not. He spun on the spot and took out the dummy that had been animated enough to cast spells. As he walked, he came to a stream with a hollow log over it. Knowing he had to cross the stream in order to reach the end of the course, Harry climbed onto the tree. It wasn't until he was out over the stream that he caught sight of another spell almost upon him, flying about shin level. Winded, Harry groaned. There wasn't time to simply move out of the way; he was going to have jump it. With a grimace at the ache in his muscles and knees, he centered himself on the balls of his feet like he'd been taught, jumped, and the beam passed harmlessly underneath him. He landed back on the tree rather gracefully, but the jump had taken a lot out of him and he leaned over, hands on his knees, sweat dripping into his eyes, struggling to take in a breath.

A rustling sound to his left drew his attention. He cursed not getting the wolf's sight. It would have done him a lot of good right at that moment. As it was, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Constantly looking around him, Harry proceeded to cross the stream. He'd taken three steps when another spell sped even faster in his direction. This one was aimed straight at his midsection and – to his astonishment – split into three smaller beams. Stepping out of the way wouldn't work this time either. Cursing again, Harry dropped to the log and took the moment to take a few deep breaths. With a heavy groan, he pushed himself upright and finished crossing the stream.

Back on solid ground, his knees almost buckled. Harry was afraid he'd overdone it this time. Cassi, their special instructor, had tried to tell him that there would be a lot of physical exertion, but had he listened? No. No, he'd been adamant that he was going to tackle the course. Now, he was paying for it. His entire body shook, whether from adrenaline or exhaustion, he wasn't certain. Another rustling came from behind and left of him – from the eight o'clock position he recalled – and Harry whirled to look, already casting a spell. His eyes widened when Ginny stepped out from behind a tree. At the last second, he moved his hand just enough for his spell to miss her.

"Ginny? What are you doing here? I left you back at the beginning with Chris and Cassi." A breeze blew from her direction straight into his face. Instantly, he knew he wasn't seeing Ginny. He couldn't smell her. "You're not Ginny."

"Very good, Harry," came Cassi's disembodied voice. "Use all your senses. Listen to what they tell you. For now, though," the Ginny apparition, the stream, and the log disappeared, "for now, time's up. You look as if you're going to fall and never get back up."

Harry huffed in frustration, but it was more frustration over the fact that she was right. No more than ten feet in front of him stood the others, and Harry's legs shook so much, he wasn't sure that he'd make it that short distance, which only served to frustrate him even further.

"You overdid it, Harry," Cassi gently scolded him. "It's not going to do you any good to exhaust yourself. I never should have agreed to let you go through the course."

Ginny, followed by Chris, took one of Harry's arms and draped it over her shoulders to help him stay upright. Harry muttered his thanks to them but then spoke to Cassi. "It was _my_ decision. I'll take the lecture from Mrs. Cole and from Sirius. I'll be sure to tell them I chose to do it."

"Come on, Harry," Ginny urged softly, "let's get you inside so you can get your potion and get ready for class."

Harry nodded and took a step, but his knees promptly gave out. "Whoa."

"Easy there, Harry," Chris said, managing to catch most of Harry's weight. "We've got you."

Between Ginny and Chris, they were able to get Harry to the Infirmary. True to his word, Harry admitted to having overdone it on the course, stating in no uncertain terms that he had insisted on trying it. Mrs. Cole gave him an exasperated look and handed over his dose of Wolfsbane Potion. Ten minutes later, she forced a vial of turquoise liquid into his hand.

"Strengthening Solution. Drink it. You're going to need it for the remainder of the day. Make sure you get to bed early."

Not uttering a word of complaint, Harry downed that potion as well. Almost instantly, he could feel a tingling in his muscles, making him feel stronger, more energized. "Thanks, Mrs. Cole."

"Just don't overtax yourself again."

Harry gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, I'll try not to. Can't make any promises, though."

Mrs. Cole shook her head and chuckled. "Poppy told me you could be cheeky. Go on, now, before you're too late for breakfast."

This time when Harry gained his feet, he remained standing. With a quick goodbye to Ginny, they went their separate ways to get ready for the day.

0000

"Okay, today, we're going to begin learning to brew antidotes. Now, as you should know by now, bezoars are very capable of neutralizing common poisons. Mistletoe berries and unicorn horns are also capable of neutralizing some common poisons, but they are harder to come by. Some antidotes contain all three. For our first one, we'll be brewing an antidote that only contains the bezoar. Watch carefully."

Mr. Philter proceeded to brew the antidote, making certain everyone could see and understand each step before going on to the next. Once it was finished, Mr. Philter bottled his teal-colored potion, holding it up for everyone to see.

"That's how it should look when it's brewed properly. Now, it's your turn." He waved his wand at the blackboard and the chalk began writing out the instructions. "Work carefully. There's plenty of time. If you have questions, ask."

As Harry was crushing his bezoar, he rolled his head back and forth in an attempt to ease the stiffness in his neck and shoulders. "Would love to have a permanent antidote to my transformations," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Working on that, Harry," Mr. Philter said softly from behind Harry.

Harry looked up, embarrassed to have been overheard complaining. "Sorry, sir. I know you are. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful."

"Think nothing of it, Harry. As a matter of fact, it may be closer than you think." Mr. Philter leaned a bit closer, looking into Harry's cauldron. "Alex is trying it out this month."

"What? Really?"

"Yes, really. If it works for him, then I can begin to adjust it for you and Lew. It also means you won't be going anywhere for the full moon like the last couple of months. We'll need to monitor him."

"That's fantastic. I hope it works."

"As do I, Harry." Mr. Philter indicated Harry's cauldron. "Nice work on the potion. Keep going."

As soon as Mr. Philter had moved on to someone else, Harry turned to Chris, a broad smile on his face. "Did you hear that? Pretty soon, I may not have to deal with the transformations anymore."

Chris responded with a smile of his own. "I heard. That's great. That'll be different, won't it? Being able to face the full moon without an ounce of fear?"

"Yeah. I've wanted that day for so long. It's too bad Uncle Remus didn't live long enough to experience it." Just the thought dampened Harry's spirits.

"Imagine Ginny's response to hearing that you may not have to deal with it anymore."

Just like that, Harry's happiness returned. He knew Ginny would be just as excited. "Thanks, Chris. I needed that."

"I figured." Chris shrugged. "Hey, what are friends for?"

0000

That evening, the three of them were lounging in the commons area, Chris in an armchair reading a biography on William Shakespeare and Ginny sitting on a sofa with Harry sprawled over it, his head in her lap, the book of his family history laying face down on Harry's stomach. Currently, his eyes were closed as he enjoyed Ginny's hand gently running through his hair. It was so relaxing and with the full moon's imminent arrival, Harry was feeling rather tired. The Strengthening Potion had worn off a few hours prior.

"I hope things work out with that potion," Ginny said softly. "You certainly deserve a break. All of you do."

Harry sighed contentedly. "I guess we'll find out."

"And you haven't had any … _other_ … issues?"

Harry looked up into Ginny's questioning expression and grinned. "No. It hasn't come back at all." Reaching up, he gently took Ginny's hand and kissed her palm, then turned it over and kissed next to the ring she wore. When next he spoke, it was with almost a whisper. "As much as I'd love to share that with you again, I have to say I'm glad it hasn't returned. It was making me mental."

Ginny chuckled. "Well, if you'd have just talked to me in the first place ..."

With a sigh, Harry said, "I know. I know." Barely suppressing a yawn, he added, "It takes a while for something to sink in. Once it does, I embrace it completely. I just beg you to have patience with me."

Ginny lightly rubbed Harry's chest. "Harry, you don't have to worry about that. I know it'll take time. I'm willing to wait, but I can't guarantee that I won't be exasperated with you when you don't speak up right away."

Harry chuckled tiredly, "Fair enough." This time, he had no luck hiding his yawn.

Ginny gave his shoulder a playful shove. "Go to bed, Harry. You need the sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Yawning again, Harry closed his book and rolled off the sofa onto his feet. Leaning down, he gave Ginny a kiss, then took a moment to inhale her flowery scent. "See you in the morning."

0000

Harry hadn't been made aware of the results of the Suppression Potion until he'd awakened from his nap on Saturday. It had worked! Alex had remained himself, but there _had_ been some of the pain associated with the transformations, just not to the usual extent. Harry couldn't wait to try the potion himself, but was disappointed when Mr. Philter had said he wanted to get it right for Alex before giving it to Harry. Harry had supposed it made a certain amount of sense, but being so tired of transforming every month, it had made him impatient when he had known an end had been in sight. He had ended up snapping at Chris and at Ginny, who had promptly snapped right back at him. Harry had apologized with a sigh and all had been forgiven.

Now, the upcoming task weighed heavily on his mind. He didn't know what he'd do if the kidnappers didn't follow through with their end of the bargain and let one of Ginny's family members go. He didn't think he could bear to see the look on Ginny's face if that were to happen. He'd been impressed with her for the last two months. She'd told him on more than one occasion that she was able to stay positive because she believed it would work out. She'd said that's what she'd been taught and what her mum would want. Ginny was definitely stronger than anyone gave her credit for being.

With a bag packed and hanging on his shoulder, he stood in the commons area with Chris, who had insisted on going with him, as he waited for Ginny. He worried a bit about his girlfriend. She was going to be alone in a foreign country. Neither of her friends could get parental permission to go with her. Would she be alright? Would she feel alone? Lost? Harry hoped not, but he promised himself he'd spend as much time with her as possible. Besides, it was quite possible he was worrying over nothing. Ginny was a vivacious, sincere girl. Surely, someone would be drawn to her, just as he had been – as long as it was a girl or someone who only wanted to be friends. Anyone else could simply stay as far from her as possible.

"Are you nervous?"

Chris' question put a halt to Harry's musings. "Only a bit, thanks to our mornings. Without them, I'd probably be panicking right now." Harry shrugged. "I suppose we'll see. I think the thirteen hour time difference is really going to be difficult to deal with. I know that's why we're going a few days before the actual task date, but still. It's already morning there."

Chris yawned. "Well, closer to noon, really. At least they let us get _some_ sleep."

"True," Harry said through a yawn of his own. Harry certainly would do his best to stay awake the entire day, but having just endured the full moon two nights ago, he still felt the effects of it.

Miss Lena exited her office and stepped up to Harry and Chris, three small items in her hand. "These are translation pins similar to what the Chinese students wore while at Hogwarts." She pinned one onto Harry's collar. It wasn't until she pinned one onto Chris that Harry could see it was a tree with open, spreading branches containing green leaves and white blooms.

"A magnolia tree, right?" guessed Chris.

Miss Lena smiled. "What else would it be?"

A quick glance towards the girls' corridor showed it to still be empty. Harry took the opportunity to bring up his concern with his Headmistress. "I'm worried about Ginny being alone there. I mean, at least Chris will be with me, but she won't have anyone with her at night."

.

Miss Lena smiled mysteriously. "Believe me when I say you needn't be concerned, _cher_. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Oh? Care to share?" Harry asked, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"And ruin the surprise? No, I think not. Trust me, though. It's a good one."

Harry gave a little laugh. "Well, it was worth a try."

Ginny entered the commons area, looking half-asleep. As did Sirius when he joined them. "As much as I love the idea of visiting other schools," Sirius grumbled, then yawned, "I do wish all the tasks were just taking place at Hogwarts. Life would be much simpler."

Harry had to agree with him, and by Ginny's nod, she did, too. Transferring his bag to his other shoulder, Harry draped his arm over Ginny's shoulders and pulled her into his side. When she let her head drop to his shoulder, he gave it a quick kiss.

Miss Lena pinned a translation pin onto Ginny's collar. She and Sirius already wore one. "Alright, now that we're all here, let's step outside. Our Portkey will be activating in just a minute."

They shuffled outside to the Portkey area where Miss Lena pulled out a familiar item, the rope previously used to go to Hogwarts. Everyone dutifully clasped the rope and waited for it to activate. Harry tightened his grip on Ginny and smiled when she switched hands in order to encircle his waist with the arm of the hand that had been clutching the rope. As they waited, Harry dropped his head to hers and listened to the night insects' songs, wondering what China would be like. Several seconds later, the Portkey whisked them halfway around the world and Harry didn't have to wonder any longer.

 **AN:** _Beauté et sa Bête_ is French for Beauty and her Beast. Can't guarantee when the next update will be. Starting on chapter 21 now so it will kind of depend on when that one gets to my beta. Speaking of my beta, I thank Arnel for doing such a wonderful job catching all of my myriad mistakes.

Also, if you're looking for another Harry/Ginny story, I recommend Sorcerer's Muse. She has a new story she's writing now called The Muggle's Daughter and it's a pre-Hogwarts story. It's also very much AU. She plans on rewriting Harry's entire story. It's definitely been good so far. Go check it out.


	19. Hear me holler, See me cry

**_Though you may hear me holler, And you may see me cry-_ _  
_ _I'll be dogged, sweet baby, If you gonna see me die._ _  
_ _―_ _Langston Hughes_**

One of the first things Harry noticed once he'd righted himself from his stumbling landing was the temperature. The air was a bit warmer here in China with the sun full up. But then, it was noon here, rather than midnight as it was in New Orleans when they'd left. It was definitely warmer than it would have been at Hogwarts this time of year. Looking around, he saw they had landed on the bank of a wide river that meandered between tall, wooded hills. In front of them was the school, sprawling along with what appeared to be courtyards between the buildings, if Harry guessed correctly. The curved roofs typically associated with Chinese architecture was seen here on a few of the buildings. The other buildings had more simple roofs. The school itself appeared to be built with timber and stone, allowing it to blend quite well with its surroundings. Harry felt tranquility settle inside him as he looked upon the area.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

Harry turned in the direction Ginny was looking and felt his jaw drop. Sure enough, Hermione was standing with Cedric Diggory, Cedric's girlfriend – a girl named Cho, Harry thought – and Dumbledore. Harry grinned when Hermione waved furiously at him. He chanced a glance over at Miss Lena and Sirius, brows raised in silent question whether Hermione was the reason he'd been told not to worry about Ginny, and received a quick nod and wink from Sirius.

"Welcome to our humble school." Harry turned back to face the man speaking, the same one who had accompanied the students to Hogwarts last month. "I am Headmaster Jian. We hope you enjoy your stay here. Come, allow me to give you a tour."

0000

Harry, Chris, Cedric, and Sirius were housed on one side of what was called the Guest House. The beds were modest in comparison to Hogwarts, with no bed hangings. The walls were painted a soothing pale green, the floors were dark wood. Also on their side of the building was a loo. The boys' room was separated from the girls' room on the opposite side by an unassuming common room. Looking out the windows afforded them a view of two buildings, one on each side of the Guest House, which Harry presumed to be the other students' dorms. Those buildings didn't dominate the view, however. It was easy to see the hills that surrounded the entire school just a moderate distance away. In deference to Dumbledore being head of the British Wizengamot, he had been given his own small building, or so Harry assumed.

Setting his bag down on the bed that would be his for the duration, Harry re-entered the common room to wait for the girls and Miss Lena to return. He'd only waited a few seconds before they joined him. Harry smiled in relief to see Ginny giggling and whispering with Hermione. Catching Sirius' eye, he mouthed his thanks to his godfather with a quick nod of his head in the girls' direction.

Sirius left the window and stood next to Harry. "You're quite welcome, kiddo. She needs support just as much as you do. Who better than Hermione to give it?"

Once they were all together, Headmaster Jian requested they follow him as they continued the tour. Peaceful gardens were indicated in case they needed a place to center themselves or to think. They viewed the Classroom Building where they'd be expected to attend class the days they were there, and were given a map that showed the locations of each of the classrooms. Relieved, Harry noted that it was in English, as were signs on the classroom doors indicating which subject was taught inside.

From there, Headmaster Jian showed them the corral for Care of Magical Creatures and the greenhouse for Herbology, before shepherding them to the Dining Hall. Inside, numerous round tables stood, awaiting use. Many of the students were already there, standing behind a chair, which confused Harry. Why weren't they sitting? Headmaster Jian indicated one of the tables, stating it was to be their table, before continuing on to the one at the front of the room for the staff. Taking their cue from everyone else in the room, Harry and the others stood behind a chair and waited.

Standing before the gathered people, Headmaster Jian smiled. "Once again, I'd like to take this moment to welcome our guests. It is my hope that you will enjoy your stay with us, however brief it may be. To my students, please treat them as honored guests, be tolerant of any accidental offenses, for their culture is different from ours. Learn from them, and they will be able to learn from you, which is the true meaning of this Tournament." He held out his hands. "Now, we shall dine."

Everyone took their seats and Harry's group followed suit, Ginny to Harry's left, and Hermione to Ginny's left. From Hermione, it was Cedric, Cho, Dumbledore, Miss Lena, Sirius, then Chris on Harry's right. The food that appeared on a wide rotating tray in the center of the table surprised Harry because it contained a mix of Chinese, British, and American foods. There were, Harry noted with confusion, no utensils to serve with, other than for the rice and the 'English' dishes. Cho came to everyone's rescue.

"Typically, everyone at the table shares the food. That's why all the Chinese food has been cut into bite-sized pieces. We're supposed to take a few bites and put it on our plates." She went on to identify the Chinese foods and the two drink options.

Harry looked at the bits of whatever it was, at his plate, then his utensils. Chopsticks were sitting next to his plate, and he nearly panicked. He couldn't use chopsticks! A quick glance at his companions showed him they were having the same thought, except for Hermione and Cho, who seemed to have no trouble whatsoever with the unusual utensils and were currently serving themselves.

"How do you do that?" Ginny asked, picking up her chopsticks and looking at them uncertainly.

"Oh, like this." Hermione proceeded to show everyone how to hold the two sticks and how to maneuver them.

Harry tried. He really did, but he just couldn't get the hang of it. He kept dropping them onto his plate. Feeling as if every eye in the room was on him, he looked up to find that he wasn't far off. A lot of the students were watching them, giggling over their fumbling efforts. Dropping his chopsticks again, Harry felt like yelling in frustration, and the whispers he could hear wasn't helping, either. He'd been intrigued by the sweet and sour chicken and spring rolls that had been offered to them, but it didn't look as if he was going to get any of it.

Just as the thought came, some wooden serving spoons appeared on the table, as well as some forks and spoons. Thank Merlin! Harry felt like tossing his chopsticks aside, but didn't want to appear rude, so he placed them gently next to his plate. Once his plate was full, he eyed the drinks. He couldn't decide which to try: the Chrysanthemum tea or the Pearl Milk tea. Ultimately, he decided on the pale yellow Chrysanthemum Tea. He thought it a bit weird that the cups didn't have handles, but mentally shrugged the thought away.

"Been to many Chinese restaurants have you, Hermione?" Harry asked, watching his friend's flawless execution of her chopsticks in awe.

"A fair few. Mum and Dad like to travel and experience different cultures, so we eat at ethnic restaurants a lot. I just never thought I'd get to visit here before leaving school for good."

"Happy to oblige," Harry muttered, his thoughts turning to the reason they were all there to begin with.

He didn't get to wallow in dark thoughts, though, because Ginny wouldn't let him. "None of that, Harry," she said firmly. "No matter what happens with the first task, we are here to make friends and enjoy ourselves, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

Leaning over, Harry kissed Ginny's cheek, and whispered, "Thanks." As he pulled away, he boldly nicked a couple of chips off her plate.

Ginny was quicker than expected and smacked his hand. "Harry! If you wanted some, you could have taken some for yourself!"

Popping the two fried potatoes into his mouth, he grinned. "But they taste better coming from your plate."

Ginny huffed, throwing him a look of annoyance, and returned to her meal, her arm forming a barricade between their plates once she'd switched hands to eat with. Harry concentrated on his own meal for several minutes. By that time, the food and hot tea had made him drowsy, so he pushed his plate away from him. Resting his arms on the table, he dropped his head into his hand. Not being far removed from the full moon, and not having been able to get much sleep, it was all beginning to catch up to him.

Seeing that Ginny hadn't relaxed her guarded posture, he decided to try to ease her irritation with him. He didn't think she'd take too well to his hand coming in close proximity to her plate again, so he used his foot instead, and began gently nudging and caressing hers. He grinned to himself when he felt her foot move against his in response. His grin widened when her right hand dropped underneath the table to land on his knee. Slipping his left arm off the table, he covered her hand with his, his thumb caressing her knuckles and fingers. Feeling rather content now, he had to fight to keep his eyes open, stifling yawns when they came, unaware that he really wasn't hiding anything from those sitting around him.

Just when Harry thought he was going to lose the battle against his weariness, the Chinese Headmaster made a very welcome announcement. "And now, it is time for rest. You may return to your rooms or walk the gardens. I simply ask you to be quiet and respectful to those who may choose to sleep."

"Come on, Harry," Ginny said, standing and taking Harry's arm. "You could use the rest, and so could I, really."

Harry quietly groaned at having to get up; he'd been so comfortable. Forcing himself upright, Harry, fighting another yawn, draped his arm around Ginny and let her lead him from the Dining Hall.

Harry wasn't sure how he managed to keep on his feet all the way back to their rooms. Maybe because he simply refused to collapse en route where everyone could see him. The last thing he wanted was to create a scene. He couldn't have been more grateful when they made it to his room. He was fading fast and didn't have much energy left. Falling onto his bed, he let out a little moan of relief. Harry tried to thank Ginny, but the words came out as a soft mumble. A second later, he was out.

0000

"So, how long have you been here, Hermione?" Ginny asked. She'd slept for about an hour, but just couldn't sleep any longer, likely because of the different bed. Now, she and Hermione sat in the common room, chatting.

"Maybe half an hour before you arrived. I couldn't believe it when Professor McGonagall asked if I'd like to accompany Cedric and Cho. It's my understanding that Sirius had contacted her and asked if I would be willing to come so that you would have another girl around and to support you both. So, here I am."

"Thanks, Hermione. Harry was worried about me being here without anyone being in my room, especially at night, with no one to talk to. When he brought it up to Miss Lena and Sirius, they said not to worry." Ginny smiled softly. "Guess they were one step ahead."

"Well, I'm sure Sirius could guess what Harry would be thinking."

Ginny shrugged. "You're probably right."

After a few minutes of silence, Hermione asked, "What do you think the task will be?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. Something difficult and not very fun most likely."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that. I hope Harry will be ready."

"He will be." The girls turned toward the voice. Chris, looking just as tired as Ginny felt, came into the common area and plopped down into a chair. "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt."

"You're not," Ginny assured him. "You couldn't sleep either?"

Chris suppressed a yawn as he rubbed his eyes. "No, unfortunately. The bed was just too … different. At least Harry's getting some good rest. I don't think he's so much as twitched since he hit the bed."

"I hope he's not trying to get sick," Ginny fretted. "He's worked so hard this past month to get ready for this, putting in a lot of hours studying. Did you know he's kept a journal of all the spells we've learned in our early morning sessions? I've seen him studying that, too, going through the wand movements."

"I don't think you have to worry, Ginny," Chris said in an effort to comfort her. "I think it's just a combination of the full moon and not getting much sleep last night to begin with."

"I hope so." After taking a deep breath and letting it out, Ginny said with a little shrug, "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

The main door opened, admitting Sirius. He gave the three gathered there a small smile. "Good, you're awake. It'll be time to restart classes soon." He handed each of them a piece of parchment. "These are your class schedules."

Chris looked up at Sirius. "Should I wake Harry?"

"No, Headmaster Jian has graciously insisted Harry be allowed to sleep until dinner. He was concerned when he saw how much we had to help Harry back here. He thought perhaps Harry was ill."

"Did you tell him what the issue really was?"

"I had to, Ginny. I thought it only proper. He was very understanding. Like I said, he insisted on letting Harry sleep. I'll stay here while you three are gone, just on the off chance Harry wakes up before you're done. I really expect to have to wake him up."

Hermione studied her class schedule before asking, "So, how exactly is this going to work? I mean, they may not even have the same books we do. If that's the case, how will we learn anything?"

"I'm told that the books will have Translation Charms placed on them, so you'll be able to read them."

"Oh, that makes sense, I suppose." Hermione stood to gather what she'd need. "This is exciting, seeing how another culture learns." With that, she dashed into her room.

Ginny followed her at a more sedate pace. Despite Chris' reassurances, she still worried that Harry had, perhaps, compromised his health with all the time he'd put in studying. After a quick check of the schedule, Ginny grabbed her parchment, quill, and ink, tossing them into a bag she'd brought for just that purpose. Bidding Sirius goodbye, she and Hermione set out to the classroom building, meeting Cedric and Cho along the way.

0000

"Well, that was certainly different," Hermione mused on the walk back to the dorms with Ginny and Chris. They'd just finished classes for the afternoon. "I had no idea they were more advanced than we are. I felt a little lost in Charms class."

Ginny nodded her agreement. "I know. Transfiguration was really tough, but at least the teacher was nice. He understood that I hadn't studied cross species switches yet, but still encouraged me to try. I wasn't able to get the transformation to work, but no one made fun of me."

"I'd heard of Concealment Charms, of course," Chris said, "but have never tried to cast one. They're a lot tougher than you think. Although, come to think of it, it would make sense for them to be hard to cast since they conceal the magical properties of the objects."

"I'm a bit worried to see what Defense Against the Dark Arts will be like tomorrow."

"I'm sure it'll be alright, Ginny," Hermione said. "Just do your best."

The three of them arrived back at the dorm, with Hermione and Chris splitting off to put their things away. Ginny sat on the couch next to a just-awakened Harry, if his somewhat puffy eyes and flushed complexion was anything to go by. Taking his hand, she asked, "Feel better?"

"I do. How was class?"

"Well," Ginny hesitated, trying to decide how to explain the experience. "I suppose it was interesting. I mean, they're more advanced than we are, so the work was difficult, but the people were nice about it. The teacher encouraged me to try the transfiguration we were doing."

"That's good to know." He paused a second before asking, "Any word on what the first task will be?"

"No. There's been no talk about that at all."

Harry shrugged. "I didn't really expect there to be. I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

0000 Nov 24 Thursday

After breakfast, everyone gathered in a nearby field where a multitude of chairs had been placed, as well as a large screen to display the action as each champion tackled the task. Heating charms had been placed all around to ward off the chill. The champions, however, had to await their turns in a tent, separated from the spectators. Harry paced the tent, mentally running through all the spells he knew and what to do in any specific situation. Anxiety threatened to overwhelm him on more than one occasion, but focusing on his knowledge and Ginny's parting kiss kept the nerves at bay.

Bartemius Crouch entered the tent with an air of importance. "Gather around champions." Once the three had joined him, Crouch continued. "Now, the first task is at hand. It consists of four … stages, if you will. From each stage, you will need to collect your medallion piece, for they will have the clue that you will need to finish the task. You will know your piece, for it will have engraved upon it a symbol to represent your school: a tree for Magnolia House, a castle for Hogwarts, and a dragon for Lotus and Dragon." He looked at each champion seriously. "The taking of another's medallion piece will instantly disqualify you, as will the concealing of a medallion piece that is not your own. Your time and skills will determine your scores."

The champions drew from a sack a number, which represented the order in which they would compete. Harry, to his consternation, would be going last. He sat and tried not to think of what was happening as the others took their turns. The cheers and the gasps told him he was in for a real challenge. Needing some reassurance, Harry unbuttoned his left sleeve and rolled it up enough to reveal his tattoo. Running his finger over the lettering, he let his thoughts fill up with nothing but Ginny: her voice, her touch, her flowery scent, the smile she reserved for only him, and even the taste of her lips. By doing so, Harry felt his heart rate slow, his breathing deepen.

When it came time for him to leave the tent, Harry was ready. He was directed into the woods, and with a nod, Harry stepped amongst the trees. Mindful of the fact that he was being timed, Harry began to jog. Once deeper into the trees, he slowed to a walk. He couldn't believe the wildlife that seemed to be unafraid of his presence. Deer of some sort merely watched him walk by. Once or twice, he thought he saw some kind of golden-colored cat, but it darted away before he could get a good look. Exotic sounds came from the treetops. Once, a scaly anteater-looking animal crossed his path, its long tongue flicking out to lap up some insects, and Harry stopped to watch for a moment.

Finally, Harry came to a clearing. Something glittered from one of the tree's branches. Pointing his wand, he called, " _Accio medallion!_ " Nothing happened. "Of course it didn't work," Harry muttered.

"So, now what?"

Harry looked around the clearing, hoping for inspiration to strike. Spying a long branch, he started to retrieve it, but then suddenly was attacked by a swarm of black. Stumbling backward, he lifted his wand.

"Ouch! Ow! Get off! _Dormi!_ "

The spell had its intended effect, sending all the little black bodies dropping to the ground in a deep sleep. Wincing, Harry inspected the Doxy bites he'd received, all on his arms. Knowing how venomous Doxies were, Harry knew he was in some trouble. What plant had Mr. Hadley said could act somewhat as a neutralizer? Scanning the area, he spotted a vine that looked familiar. Taking a closer look, Harry let out a little cry of triumph. He'd found the plant Mr. Hadley had told him about: the Chinese Goldthread plant. With quick movements, he dug it up. As best he could, he smashed and ground the roots and rhizome against a rock into pieces as small as he could get them. By this time, the bites throbbed with his heartbeat. While the plant pieces wouldn't eliminate the Doxy poison, it would slow it down.

With shaking hands, Harry used his wand to cut into each puncture to make it big enough to get a sufficient amount of plant bits into it for the plant to work its miracle. He winced, hissed, and cried out as he did so, the searing pain bringing tears to his eyes. He sprinkled the little bits onto each of his bites, making sure each puncture was coated. Using a Severing Charm, he tore pieces of his school uniform jumper into strips and wrapped them around his arms, getting them to stay with mild Sticking Charms.

That taken care of, Harry picked up the branch he'd spotted when he'd been attacked by the Doxies. Lifting the branch, he very carefully freed the medallion fragment from its place in the tree. Picking up the glittering piece, he saw that on one side, there was a tree, just as Mr. Crouch has stated. On the opposite side was some lettering, but without the other pieces, he couldn't make any sense of what was there.

Moving on, Harry stuffed the fragment into his pocket. It didn't take long to reach the next obstacle in the task. The instant he entered another clearing, there came a song of such despair that it filled Harry with absolute anguish. Dropping to his knees, he covered his face with his hands as tears ran down his face. It was hopeless! Why did he even bother to try? He wouldn't succeed, not at getting Ginny's family released. He couldn't do it and Ginny was going to hate him. That thought made his heart ache. Great sobs shook him, as if he'd been holding back deep pain for a very long time and it had finally broken free of his grasp. He should just give up. His hand slid toward his wand to do just that when his eyes found his tattoo. The testament to his and Ginny's relationship centered him enough to raise his wand and a cast a spell into the trees.

" _Silencio!_ "

Blessed silence followed. Hastily wiping at his tears, Harry searched the area for the next medallion fragment. He found it sitting under a tree, partially hidden by some leaves. Pulling the first piece from his pocket, he fit the two together. What was engraved on the backs made a little bit of sense as he could actually read a few words now. From the little bit he could make out, it appeared to be some sort of riddle. Dropping the pieces into his pocket, he moved on.

In a rather short period of time, Harry heard something moving ahead – something huge. Proceeding stealthily, he felt dread settle into his stomach. Whatever was making the ground shake, it was likely to be very dangerous. Barely breathing, he gripped his wand tightly and continued moving in the direction of his next challenge.

"Oh, bloody hell," Harry whispered upon catching sight of exactly what his next challenge was.

Roughly the size of an elephant, with its scarlet scales and golden spikes gleaming, prowled a Chinese Fireball dragon, watching him with its protuberant eyes. Its wings currently lay folded against its body. It opened its mouth, displaying all of its insanely sharp teeth. Gulping, Harry inched his way back the direction he'd come, thinking furiously. What was he going to do now? At the edge of the clearing, he stopped and began searching for his last medallion fragment. Naturally, it was across the clearing, propped on a knot on a tree at about waist level.

Harry turned his attention to the dragon, thinking of and discarding spells. He could certainly try the Conjunctivitis Curse, but the eyes were still a very small target. As he contemplated his options, he reached up with shaky hands to rub his temples in an attempt to ease the ache that pounded there. He knew it was a result of the Doxy poison, and he also knew he needed to get that fragment quickly, as his condition was only going to get worse.

Movement to his right caught Harry's attention. A glossy black form gracefully slithered into the clearing. The snake must have caught his scent for it stopped and lifted half of its four foot long body off the ground, displaying its lighter throat and hood. Fearing it might get agitated by the dragon, Harry decided to speak to it.

" _Hello. I mean you no harm. The dragon, however, might. You're better off going around it."_

" _You are a Speaker! I have met very few who can Speak. Yes, I have seen the Liondragon before. I know what it is capable of. What is a Speaker doing here?"_

" _I have to get past the dragon. There's a medallion piece that I need that's on the tree behind it."_

The cobra turned to look in the direction Harry pointed. _"I see that which you seek. I will retrieve it for you. You do not smell well. It is rare to find one with which I can Speak. Be still."_

Before Harry could offer a meek protest, the cobra quickly disappeared into the brush, then reappeared at the base of the tree with the medallion piece. The dragon continued to pace, puffing smoke from its nostrils, and ignored the cobra completely. Nearly holding his breath, Harry watched as the cobra scaled the tree, bumped the piece with its nose, then proceeded to nudge the piece back to Harry.

" _Here it is."_ The cobra's tongue flicked out. _"The venom is spreading. You must go. Get help before it's too late."_

His entire body trembling now, Harry picked up the medallion fragment. _"Thank you. You saved me a lot of time and effort."_

" _You are welcome. You were nice to me. I returned the favor."_

With that, the cobra skirted the edge of the clearing and disappeared into the underbrush. Harry continued walking, stumbling occasionally, until he came upon a table with a smallish wooden chest sitting upon it. Leaning heavily on the table, Harry took a moment to catch his breath. Forcing himself upright, he looked over the chest. There didn't appear to be any visible handles or locks. In the center of the top was a round indention. Harry pulled out his collected pieces and arranged them, words side up, in the correct order in the hole.

"I'm the part of a bird that's not in the sky," Harry read, "I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?"

Harry groaned and dropped his head to the wooden chest. His head pounded at his temples and behind his eyes, making it very difficult to think at all, much less to think logically. With effort, he lifted his head again and stared at the slightly fuzzy words. Nothing was coming to mind and he was certain he had to answer the riddle correctly in order for the task to officially end.

"What part of a bird isn't in the sky? I assume it means when the bird _is_ in the sky. So, what part isn't? A feather? No, it can't really swim. Besides, it would get wet. Come on, Potter, think." Drawing a blank, he scanned his surroundings, hoping for inspiration once again. When a shadow briefly passed over him, he looked up to see a bird flying away. "That's it! It has to be. It's a shadow."

To his relief, there was a _click_ and a drawer slid out from the middle of the chest. In the shallow drawer rested another medallion, this one bigger than the broken one, on a heavy ribbon so that it could be worn around the neck. Reaching out, Harry picked up the ribbon. The instant his fingers touched the silky material, a hook behind his navel sent him from his spot at the table to the tent where he'd awaited his turn to enter the forest.

0000

"You did it, Harry!"

Harry looked up from where the medi-witch was pouring him a dose of the Doxy venom antidote. Ginny ran up to him, but stopped short of plowing into him, for which he was thankful. He wasn't all that steady on his feet at the moment, but refused to lie down on one of the beds. Hermione, Chris, Sirius, and Miss Lena followed a little more sedately.

"Drink this. Then, you will lie down and rest so the antidote can flush the venom from your system. That was quick thinking, what you did with the Goldthread. You were taught well."

Harry downed the antidote, wincing at the bitter taste. "I'm just glad it was there or I would have been done for."

"Now, lie down and let that work."

With Ginny on one side of him and Sirius on his other side, Harry relied upon their help to lie down. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, he finally began to relax.

The medi-witch wasn't finished giving out orders. To those around him, she instructed, "He is to remain calm, preferably not talking much, if at all, until I say he's free to go. That venom nearly rendered him unconscious." She shook her head. "I don't know how he remained on his feet, even with the Goldthread. I've seen others fall with actual powder, rather than pieces."

Unable to keep his mouth shut, Harry said, "I had to finish the task. It was important."

The medi-witch looked disapprovingly at him, lips pressed together. Ginny, apparently catching the look, said to him, "Harry, hush, now. You can talk later."

"Well, it was," he insisted. "Hopefully, the ones responsible will know that I kept my side of the bargain and will keep to their side."

Ginny scolded him. "Do you not understand what I'm saying to you? Shut it. As in, stop talking so the antidote can work quicker."

Harry couldn't help but say one more thing. "Maybe you can come back once your –"

Ginny's hand smacked over his mouth to stop the flow of his words. "I swear, Harry, if you don't shut it right now, I'll hex you once you're better."

After a moment, she removed her hand. Harry thought it wise to stop talking now. So, he lay there in silence for half an hour. It had been a struggle for him to stay quiet, and on a couple of occasions, he'd opened his mouth only to get a quelling look from Ginny. As he lay there, his thoughts turned to the abductors. He hoped they quickly learned of his completion of the task and actually did follow through with their promise. He also hoped it was Ginny's mum who was released first. Ginny might hide it well, but she still needed her mother.

0000

"Well, he actually did it," the man sneered at his three hostages. "The brat actually pulled it off. He kept his word, so I suppose I'll keep mine. Now, which of you should I let go first?"

"Let Mum go."

"Oh, I don't think so, Weasley. The bond between mother and daughter is a special thing. No, I think I'll hold onto Mum for a little while longer." His eyes danced between the brothers before landing on one of them. "You. Stand up slowly. Turn around."

Grabbing the Weasley boy by the arm, he led his captive out of the room. Raising his wand, he whispered, _"Obliviate!_ You will remember your abduction. You will remember your brother and your mother being with you. You will _not_ remember anything about where you've been kept, nor will you remember our faces. Now, _Stupefy!_ "

Dragging the Weasley son to the center of the sparsely furnished room, the man created a Portkey, placed it on his now former captive's stomach, then activated it. He grinned maliciously as the Weasley boy disappeared. "One step closer to Potter."

0000

"I haven't found anything on that symbol you sent to me, but I haven't given up."

Harry looked over at Hermione, having noticed the anxious tone in her voice. He, Hermione, Chris and Ginny were currently walking the grounds now that the task was over. "It's alright, Hermione. Honestly, I didn't expect you to find anything so soon. It's probably a very old symbol and will take some time to decipher it."

"Have you thought about asking the Hogwarts ghosts? Sir Nicholas or the Fat Friar may be willing to talk to you, providing they have any information about it, of course."

Hermione smacked herself in frustration. "I can't believe I didn't think of that."

Harry grinned. "Well, you do tend to rely on books for answers. Sometimes, you have to think outside the books."

Ginny groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, Harry, that was awful."

"Hey," Harry said, feigning hurt feelings, "I thought it was funny."

Ginny shook her head at him. "You would. You've been talking with Sirius a little too much, I think."

"I seriously doubt that's possible," Harry deadpanned.

Ginny let out another groan, though she did laugh. "For the love of Merlin, would you stop with the puns?"

"Why? Puns are fun. Punny is funny – or is it just punny?"

The two girls and Chris stared at Harry with brows raised. Ginny giggled. "What was in that antidote the medi-witch gave you?"

"Haven't a clue, but I'm feeling really good right now. Unwanted side effect, maybe? Though, I'd say this would be very much _wanted_."

"I'm surprised she even let you go," Hermione said, concern mixing with her amusement.

"In her defense, Harry wasn't like this when we left the tent," Chris pointed out. "Delayed reaction, maybe?"

"Maybe you should go back and see her, Harry. I'm not so sure you should be feeling this way."

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Harry cajoled. "I haven't felt this good since we visited Hogwarts for the champions' selection. After the issue with that girl, Ginny and I – " Two hands slapped over his mouth to stop his words – his hand and Ginny's. With horror in his eyes, Harry cleared his throat. "Maybe I should go see her. I don't want to say something I shouldn't."

Chris laughed. "I don't know. I think it was starting to get good." With a teasing expression on his face, Chris asked with his own raised brows, "Pray tell, what were you about to divulge, there, Harry? Enlighten us."

"No, I really don't think so," Harry muttered, the redness in his cheeks giving testament to his embarrassment.

Chris looked disappointed for all of a second or two before laughing. "Come on. Let's get you checked out by the medi-witch before that loose tongue of yours spouts something else you want to keep quiet."

Finding the medi-witch, Ginny and Harry explained what was happening. The woman nodded her understanding. "A sensitivity to the antidote's ingredients, one of which is dried Billywig stings. Jobberknoll feathers is another ingredient, also used in many truth serums, believe it or not. This reaction isn't common, but not unheard of, either." She smiled encouragingly at them. "Just don't leave Mr. Potter alone until the effect has worn off. It shouldn't take too long."

"That's good to know because I seem to have lost all control over what flies out of my mouth. It's like my brain thinks it and my mouth says it, regardless of whether it should actually be said or not. Right now, for instance, my brain is telling my mouth to shut it already, but as you can tell that hasn't happened yet. It's as if my mouth has a mind of its own."

"We get it, Harry," Ginny cut in, laughing. "Let's go find somewhere that won't disturb everyone else, some place where it would be perfectly fine if you did reveal some private things."

"Perhaps Hermione and I should go our separate way, then," Chris offered. "Despite what I said earlier, I really don't want to know anything about your private lives."

"I already know more than I want to," muttered Hermione, causing Harry and Ginny to blush a bit.

"Anyway," Harry said, attempting to move the conversation along, "we'll go this way." He pointed in the direction ahead of them. "You two can go anywhere else." Then, grinning wolfishly, he added, "Just don't do anything Ginny and I haven't done."

Ginny giggled at Hermione's sputtering response before grabbing Harry's arm. "Come on, Harry. Let's get you away from everyone. While _I_ don't mind this relaxed version of you, others may not find you as funny. Plus, I don't think you want to spill all our secrets to someone who may get a perverse pleasure out of hearing them – Sirius, for instance."

"You're right. Definitely don't want that. That would be seriously messed up, I think is how the phrase goes."

Ginny groaned, but also laughed. "And we're back to the puns. Let's go, comedic genius."

Harry allowed himself to be dragged off to one of the nice, meticulously maintained gardens. Sitting on a comfortable bench, Harry pulled Ginny into his side with one arm around her shoulders and buried his nose into her hair. Breathing in, he caught her comforting flowery scent.

"I love to smell your hair," he said with a contented sigh.

Ginny giggled. "I know, though I don't know why. It's just my shampoo. Honeysuckle and strawberry with a bit of peach mixed in. Nothing exotic."

Harry took another deep breath. "You don't need exotic. This is absolutely perfect. Every time I smell a flower, I think of you. Strawberries and peaches, too." Harry let out a little snort. "Who am I kidding? I'm always thinking of you. I'm not complaining, mind you. You make me feel so good."

This time, it was Ginny who let out a snort. With a hint of sarcasm, she said, "Yeah, I think it's the antidote that's making you feel that way right now."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't change the fact that you really do make me feel good, about myself and just things in general." He tried to nuzzle her neck but couldn't reach very well. To remedy that, he pulled Ginny into his lap. "Much better," he murmured, placing soft little kisses just under her jaw, at her ear, and onto her neck.

"I like that," she whispered with a sigh.

"Good, because I do, too."

Understatement of the year. Harry couldn't believe just _how much_ he was liking it. A lot more than he probably should be, that was for sure, but he didn't want to stop, didn't think he _could_ stop. He only hoped Ginny remained blissfully unaware of his physical response to what he was doing. Harry forced himself to breathe deeply, thinking it would keep things from going too far. He couldn't have been more wrong. What he felt grew to an alarming intensity faster than he thought possible. Helpless to stop what he knew was coming, he pressed his nose into Ginny's neck, clenched his jaw against any sound that could escape him, and squeezed his eyes shut. However, he couldn't hide the hitch in his breathing at the moment the tension was released, nor could he suppress the little shudder that went through him.

For several long seconds, Harry kept his face buried, shame burning him from the inside out. What the bloody hell had just happened? Or more appropriately, why? Why had he lost control like that? Please, please, _please_ don't let Ginny have noticed. His pleading fell on deaf ears.

"Harry? You just … didn't you?"

Harry let out a mortified groan. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. That's never happened before. It was so strong and happened so fast I couldn't stop it. Merlin, how humiliating!"

"Why? It's not as if we haven't experienced that before."

"What do you mean why? I'd have thought it was obvious. I mean, I just … right here in plain sight, simply by kissing you. Anyone could have walked by. As for our experience, at least then it was mutual."

"Harry, look at me. Please."

Reluctantly, Harry moved so that he could look her in the eyes. He found himself falling into their golden depths. More importantly, he didn't see recrimination there. She even smiled at him, which brought out a small returning smile of his own.

"To be honest, Harry, if we were at school right now, I'd be dragging you off into that room of ours. You weren't the only one affected."

"No, just the only one who – "

"Harry," Ginny said a bit forcefully, "listen to me. It's okay. I'm not upset over what happened. If anything, I'm a bit envious. It's going to take some time for me to come down from what I'm feeling. So, you got off easy." As her choice of words dawned on her, she snickered. "I guess you weren't joking when you said you were feeling good."

It was either laugh or hide himself away in mortification for the rest of his life, so he chose to laugh. Sighing, he placed a soft kiss at her temple. "I still can't believe that happened, but thank you for being so good about it."

"It's like you said. You didn't have any control." Ginny's expression turned pensive. "I wonder if the antidote is responsible. We already know it's had an effect on you."

Harry shook his head. "That's a rather diverse range of side effects, don't you think? I've never heard of a potion having _that_ particular effect before."

"Let me be Hermione for a moment. What it comes down to is a sense of no control. You said it was like you had no control over the things you said; therefore, it stands to reason that you'd be affected in this particular area as well."

Harry wasn't convinced, but would rather let the subject drop, so he didn't contradict her. Ginny, on the other hand, didn't seem to want to let it go. "Maybe your lycanthropy played a part in it."

Harry quickly responded with, "No, that wasn't it. The feelings were strong like they are when the wolf is involved, but this time was still different. I can't really explain it, but there certainly was a difference. No, this time was all my own doing – or undoing, as the case seems to be."

"Either way, there's no need to worry about it. Okay?" Whispering in Harry's ear, she said, " _Je suis encore ta beauté et tu es toujours ma bête._ "

Harry blankly looked at Ginny. "Er, what?"

Ginny giggled a bit as she grasped his left hand into her own, then pulled up their sleeves enough to reveal their tattoos. "Amelie taught me that. She's dubbed us _La belle et la bête_."

Harry looked down at their tattoos, his mind furiously working to figure out exactly what it was Ginny had said. After a moment, his brows shot upward and he met her gaze. "She calls us Beauty and the Beast?"

"Yes, but not out of spite or anything. It's more of a term of endearment. Now that you've worked that one out, can you figure out the first thing I said?"

"Say it again for me." Ginny did, slower this time. "Well, _beast_ is in there at the end, I think. That's what it sounded like. I'm going to guess that _beauty_ was in there, too. That's all I can figure."

"You're right. I said 'I am still your beauty and you are still my beast.' I've been working on that for a long time. I wanted it to be perfect."

"Believe me, it was. I love the way it sounds. French is a beautiful language, even though the sounds are difficult to reproduce." Harry placed another kiss on her forehead. He struggled to recall the words he wanted to use. Knowing he was about to butcher the pronunciation, he forged on. " _Je t'aime, mon ange, mon trésor, mo chroí._ "

Ginny smiled brightly. "I love hearing the languages being mixed like that. I love you, too. You're my angel, my treasure, and my heart as well. You're right. It does sound really nice in other languages. Both, French and Irish, are lovely languages."

Their little private bubble burst when others showed up, namely Cedric and his girlfriend, as well as Sirius. Spotting them, Sirius headed their way, broad grin on his face. Harry silently groaned. He hoped they weren't going to be asked to go anywhere, because he was fairly certain his earlier lack of control would still be noticeable. He should have used his wand by now to take care of that, but he'd thought they'd have plenty of time. Besides, he'd been too embarrassed to actually pull his wand and do it. Now, it was too late.

"So this is where the two of you disappeared to. I don't blame you. It's quite nice in here." He waggled his brows. "Private."

Heat instantly bloomed in Harry's cheeks, forcing him to look away from his grinning godfather. "Er, yeah, it _was_." Then, he muttered to himself, "Thankfully."

"Well, sorry to interrupt, but there's been news. Ginny, Charlie's been found."

Ginny shot off Harry's lap. "What?!" Harry stood close behind her, squeezing her right hand. "Is he okay? Can he say where the others are?"

Sirius looked around them as if he was watching for someone. The instant he did, Ginny surprised Harry by dropping his hand behind her back and reaching for his wand. Confused as to why she'd want his wand, he let her pull it from his pocket. She surprised him again when she slipped his wand into his hand before giving him a private little grin. Thinking he knew what her intent was, Harry did what he should have already done, then slipped his wand back into his pocket. Even when getting news of her missing family, she thought of him. Love for the girl in front of him filled him to nearly bursting. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her temple.

Sirius returned his attention to the teens. "Charlie's okay, mostly. Just some bruises, though it looks as if a few bones had been broken and healed numerous times. He's been checked out and deemed healthy enough to return to the Burrow. He has no idea who his abductors are or where he was being held. Someone had erased those memories."

"So, we're nowhere nearer to finding the rest of Ginny's family? I have to say I'm surprised the news that I completed the first task made it back to them so quickly. I had hoped, but wasn't expecting anything to happen until tomorrow, at the earliest."

"Not just completed but tied for first place," Sirius said with an ounce of pride. Then, he sobered. "I agree. That news traveled fast – faster than either I or Miss Lena are comfortable with."

Ginny's eyes rounded. "Are you thinking that someone _here_ is an accomplice?"

"Or was simply hired to contact them with the results," Sirius said with a grim nod. "Either way, it's making us very uncomfortable. So, Ginny, what would you say about leaving here and going to see your brother and father for a few days?"

"Are you serious?"

Sirius gave her a cheeky grin. "Always am. Yes, I do mean it, though. Miss Lena and I would feel much more comfortable having you both in an environment in which we could control."

"What about Chris? And Hermione?" Harry asked, worried that this would take away their time together. He could see them gravitating towards each other more and more and figured something would be happening with them soon.

"Not to worry, Harry, they have permission to come along. Dumbledore is speaking to Headmaster Jian about the situation and informing him that you, Ginny, Chris, and Hermione are likely to leave today."

"Let's go, then," Harry said, indicating for Sirius to lead the way.

Once they'd retrieved their bags and the others, their group met with Headmaster Jian. Harry felt the need to say something so he stepped forward. "Thank you, sir, for your hospitality. It was very nice to be here. I only wish I could have stayed a little longer. You have a lovely place here, very peaceful."

"You are very well-spoken for someone so young. I'm glad you were able to find a little peace here. We were honored to have you here." From a little wooden box, he pulled out a very familiar object and handed it to Harry. "This is yours. It serves two purposes. One, it bears a clue to the next task. Two, it shall serve as a reminder of your brief visit with us. Until we meet again."

Headmaster Jian gave a slight deferential bow, which Harry returned, not knowing how else to respond. Harry pulled Ginny away to rejoin Hermione and Chris so that Miss Lena and Sirius could say their final goodbyes. Looking down at the beribboned, golden medallion in his hand, he noted the raised relief dragon and lotus symbol on one side. On the reverse, also in raised relief, at the bottom right, there was a magnolia tree and flowing lines like a stream or river. Above that was what appeared to be a figure standing under wavy lines that crossed from one side to the other, with another figure lying flat and facing the former. Framing the entire scene was a sort of sea creature, long and serpentine.

"Wow," Hermione breathed, catching a glimpse of tableau carved into the medallion. "That's incredible work. I wonder what it means."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know, but right now, I'm not too worried about it. I'll figure it out later."

He slid the medallion into his pocket and took Ginny's hand as Miss Lena and Sirius joined them, Sirius carrying a scroll. "Okay, everyone, gather around. Headmaster Jian was kind enough to allow us the use of this scroll for our Portkey. We'll arrive just outside the Burrow's wards." He held up the scroll. "Okay, everyone, get a finger on it."

Once they had, the Portkey whisked them away to Ginny's childhood home.

0000

They landed after a long couple of minutes. In the short distance, the Burrow still stood, beckoning Ginny. Not thinking twice, she took off at a full run, tears distorting her vision the nearer she came to it, vaguely aware of rapid footsteps behind her. She had to see Charlie, to reassure herself that he was okay just as Sirius had said. The chill of the early morning air made her breath form little clouds each time she exhaled. Reaching the front door, she threw it open.

"Charlie?! Dad?!" Charlie exited the kitchen. With a little cry, Ginny rushed to him and engulfed him in a hug that would have rivaled her mother's. "It's true! You _are_ back! Are you really okay? Did you see Mum and Bill? Are they okay?"

"I'm really okay, Ginny. Yes, I saw them. We were being held in the same place. Bill's a bit beat up, but he's okay. They made sure to heal any serious injuries we received. Mum's okay. Don't worry about them. They're strong. They'll be fine."

Mr. Weasley stepped up behind Charlie and said, "That they are."

Ginny released her brother to hug her father. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she asked, "Why didn't you tell me they were missing? Why did I have to hear about it from the abductors themselves with Harry's letter?" To her brother, she asked, "How did they even get you?"

"I'm really sorry about that, sweetheart. I had hoped that they'd be found and I wouldn't have to tell you."

"I just wish I could remember where they are!" Charlie growled in frustration. "We had an emergency at the dragon reserve. In the chaos, someone attacked me from behind."

A clatter at the front door drew their attention. Harry stood just inside the door, off to the side in order to allow everyone else to enter, looking rather uneasy. Ginny watched as her brother strode over to her boyfriend. She tensed, as did Harry, when Charlie reached out and dropped a big, scarred hand to the back of Harry's neck. She grew even more uneasy when Charlie leaned down to look Harry in the eyes. Fearful of what was about to happen, she stepped away from her father, ready to defend Harry if the need arose. Charlie's words, however, melted her tension away.

"You," he said kindly, "are one of the bravest people I've ever met. I wish you hadn't had to do what you did, but I thank you all the same. I misjudged things, and for that, I apologize profusely. I ask for your forgiveness. You and Ginny have my complete support."

Touched beyond words, tears ran in great rivers down Ginny's cheeks. To hear her brother, who had been against them just a few months ago, now say he supported them made her want to laugh out loud with joy. She didn't have to wonder what Harry would say. In his opinion, he split the family up, and he'd felt simply awful about it, no matter how many times she'd tried to tell him it wasn't his fault.

"I accept your apology, Charlie, though I don't think I'm the one you should apologize to. You hurt Ginny more than you hurt me."

Charlie nodded. "You're right. I do need to apologize to Ginny, but you're also wrong. I told you I accepted you, but then, I turned around and did and said something that contradicted it. I wronged you, too."

Harry shrugged. "As long as you apologize to Ginny, then we're good."

Charlie shook his head in mild amusement. "You're a better man than me, Harry."

All those who had stood silently watching, their breaths collectively held while the scene unfolded before them, breathed sighs of relief. Hermione had known of the falling out between Charlie and the rest of the family, as she'd been present when it had happened. Harry and Ginny had mentioned it to Chris during one of their discussions about Ginny's family, and Miss Lena knew thanks to Sirius.

"Well," Mr. Weasley said to everyone, "welcome to the Burrow. Come in to the kitchen and have some breakfast. I'm not as good a cook as Molly, but I can handle eggs, bacon, and toast. Harry, why don't you and your friend take Ron's room for tonight? Hermione, you can share with Ginny, if that's okay?" Hermione nodded her agreement. "Miss Lena, you can have Percy's room on the second floor."

"That would be the third floor to you," Sirius said with a grin.

"It's the one on the left," Mr. Weasley continued, a mildly interested smile on his face. "Sirius, you can have Fred and George's room until they come home tomorrow, which is, in case you've forgotten, the other room on the second floor. Ron will be here, too."

"That's fine, Arthur. I can sleep just about anywhere."

Everyone trekked up the stairs to put away their bags, Ginny and Hermione splitting away first. Ginny looked around her room after placing her satchel on her bed. Hermione's camp bed sat exactly where it always had when Hermione came to visit. When Ginny had been inadvertently transported back here with her parents before the start of the school year, she'd thought herself too worldly for her bedroom here at the Burrow. While she still felt that way for the most part, she could acknowledge that it did feel comforting in a way to be there.

"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked softly.

Ginny plopped onto her bed with a small sigh. "I was just thinking about the last time I was here. It was back before term started. Remember when Mum and Dad visited Magnolia House?" Hermione nodded. "When they left by Portkey, I was accidentally brought back with them. I remember thinking I had outgrown this room, that I didn't belong here anymore."

"And now?"

"I do still feel that way a bit, but it's also kind of nice to be back here. A sort of comfort that the memories are still here, that it won't ever change, you know?"

"I think I get it. You've gone through a lot of changes, and this house has been a constant for you. It represents the love your family shares. All the times you've felt safe here, now lend you strength."

Ginny smiled, a bit relieved that what she felt made sense to someone and could succinctly explain it to her. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So," Hermione ventured, biting the inside of her lip, "have the antidote's effects worn off Harry yet? They seem to have anyway."

Ginny blushed as she remembered what happened in the garden not that long ago but couldn't keep from grinning. "Since nothing embarrassing was said just a few minutes ago, I'd have to say that, yes, the effects have worn off."

Hermione grinned. "Well, judging from the redness in your cheeks, I'd say it's a good thing Chris and I weren't with you."

"Er, yes, it is," Ginny said with a little laugh. To change the subject, she asked, "So, any advancement on the Chris front? Are you two an item yet?"

This time, Hermione's cheeks colored. "No, but he did hold my hand." Dropping onto her camp bed, she sighed. "I don't know what to do or how to feel. I liked Ron for a long time and thought we'd eventually get together, but then, Chris comes along and we get along so well. He understands me and doesn't make fun of me for wanting to learn. He doesn't belittle my choices or the things I say. It's so refreshing." Hermione gave a little dreamy sigh. "I think I'm falling for him, Ginny. I don't know how a long-distance relationship could possibly work, but every time we're together, my feelings get stronger."

Ginny sat beside her friend and took her hands into her own. "Hermione, if it's meant to be, then it will be. I know that's not likely what you want to hear, but it's what you'll have to keep in mind. He held your hand today. That's a good sign that he likes you just as much as you like him. Just try to be patient. It's not easy, I know, but – "

A knock on the door drew both girls' attention. Ginny went to see who was there. Her brows rose when she spotted Charlie. "Did Dad ask you to come get us for breakfast?"

"Yes, but I wanted to say something to you first."

"I think I'm going to go downstairs," Hermione said, quickly rising from her spot.

"No need," Charlie said, stopping her. "Someone should overhear what I have to say. I just wanted to say it now before I lost my nerve." He turned his attention back to his sister. "Harry was right. I do owe you an apology. I didn't want to listen to what you had to say. I thought what I thought and whenever you said something contrary to that, I took it as you trying to excuse Harry's and your questionable – in my opinion – behavior. I didn't want to look further than the surface. In reality, it was _my_ behavior that was questionable. There's no defense for how I acted and I hope you can forgive me."

Ginny gave her brother a watery smile, and blinked to clear the tears from her eyes. "Harry defended your actions, you know. Despite being hurt by you, he still defended you. He said you were only acting like a big brother."

"Then, I'm doubly the fool."

"Well, no more needs to be said about it. We're family, and now more than ever, family needs to stick together." With that, Ginny hugged her brother tightly. After a few moments, she stepped away, "So, how long are you staying here?"

"Until Bill and Mum come home. I'm on extended leave from the reserve."

"That's good. Dad won't be alone so much."

"My thoughts exactly. Now, head on downstairs and I'll round up everyone else."

"Alright."

She and Hermione descended the stairs while Charlie climbed higher. The greasy smell of bacon reached her nose and her stomach growled. It would be almost lunchtime now in China. She'd been too nervous for Harry to eat much breakfast, just as he had been. Ginny wondered how Hogwarts and Magnolia House would be able to view the events of the first task. Was it possible to broadcast something to somewhere so far away? It certainly wasn't something she'd heard of being done before. Then again, maybe the screens that allowed the Lotus and Dragon students to watch each champion during the task were connected, just like the mirrors Sirius created for Harry, herself, Hermione, Ron, and Neville. She imagined it would take a lot of power to cast a charm of that magnitude, but if lots of people did it simultaneously, it could possibly work.

Once everyone had gathered at the table and began serving themselves, Charlie answered Ginny's silent pondering. "Harry, I literally cringed when I saw you get bitten so many times by those Doxies. What spell was that? Then, watching you force that plant into the bites like that, well, I shuddered. What plant was that and how did you know do that?"

To Ginny's mild surprise, Harry froze, his fork nearly to his mouth, as he looked over at her brother. "You saw that? Already?"

Ginny's father responded, nodding. "Yes, Harry, we did. There was a large screen at Hogwarts and they allowed anyone to come who wanted to watch. We had just come back about thirty minutes before your arrival. Very well done, Harry. With as many bites as you received from those Doxies, I marveled at the fact you were able to continue."

"It's thanks to Mr. Hadley, the Herbology professor at school, that I knew what plant to look for and what to do. That spell was one Ginny, Chris, and I learned in our early morning sessions. It puts the target into a deep sleep."

"But with all that venom running through you," Charlie said, "to have the presence of mind to find that plant and crush it like you did is simply amazing. Not to mention opening up those bites." Charlie shuddered again. "That had to hurt something awful. I'm not sure I could have done it."

Harry shrugged. "No worse than getting burned, I'm sure," he said with a nod to Charlie's scarred arms. "Besides, I've felt worse."

The reference to his Lycanthropy was not lost on anyone at the table. Harry went back to his meal, but in Ginny's opinion, looked as if he didn't want to talk about the task anymore, not that she could blame him. It had been bloody awful to watch him get bitten so many times, knowing he soldiered on through the task for her, regardless of the risk to himself. After that first section, she'd silently begged Harry to quit, but of course he hadn't. He'd gone on to be practically tortured by the Augurey that had been placed in the treetops. It had been bad enough listening to it through the screen. She couldn't imagine how terrible it had been in the forest. She'd cried watching Harry deal with it. But then, he'd run a finger over the tattoo at his wrist, seemed to gather himself up, and silenced the bird. Pride and relief had mixed inside her at his strength of will.

When that snake had come along, she'd very nearly laughed. It couldn't have been more perfect! All around her, people had been murmuring about how the snake was deadly and that Harry needed to be extra careful. She had simply grinned, knowing Harry was in more danger from the dragon and the venom running through him than he was from the snake. She'd hoped he'd use the snake to his advantage.

When he'd arrived at that table with the wooden box on it, she had silently prayed that Harry could hang on for just a bit longer. He'd looked so pale and incredibly unsteady on his feet. Upon hearing the riddle he'd had to solve – the champions had different ones – she'd agonized over the answer along with Harry. Hermione and Chris had solved it at the same time, whispering the answer over and over as if they'd thought they could get Harry to hear it. But then, miraculously, Harry had looked up and spoken to the box, causing it to open. The instant he'd disappeared, she'd jumped out of her seat and had run all the way to the tent where she'd known he'd be.

"That Augurey sounded bloody awful. Someone would have to be mental to want one of those things around."

Charlie's comment snapped Ginny out her musings. Feeling the tension coming off Harry, Ginny dropped her hand under the table and gently massaged his thigh. He let out a huge breath and covered her hand with his own, hooked his fingers through hers, and gave her hand a little squeeze. She wanted to yell at her brother to shut it, that Harry didn't need to relive it all, but she didn't, simply because Harry gave her the smallest of resigned smiles. She felt a little nudge against her ankle. Sliding her foot to the inside of Harry's, she lightly rubbed it against his, being extra careful to not make too much noise seeing as they were both still wearing their shoes.

"No, they're not very pleasant birds," Harry finally said in response to Charlie.

"That was a powerful Silencing Charm, kiddo, to quiet the entire area."

Harry's gaze settled on his godfather. "I was desperate. I couldn't think with that thing constantly singing like that."

"And you didn't hear it before you reached the clearing?" Chris asked, "I would have thought that you would have, considering ..."

"There must have been some kind of ward or something to keep the sound within a certain area. As soon as I passed through it, it hit me all at once. That part was the worst for me. It dredged up some old feelings and made me think things that I wouldn't have normally thought, not anymore anyway."

"I imagine," Miss Lena said thoughtfully, "that was the sole purpose. It was a way to test your mental strength."

"So, what's with all the markings?" Charlie pointed to his neck and wrist.

"Oh, well, the runes are a long story. I have two tattoos, one on my chest to commemorate Uncle Remus and my parents, and the one on my wrist is for Ginny and me." When Charlie's brows rose, Harry went on in an attempt to explain. "In New York, we saw a musical called Beauty and the Beast. Both Ginny and I could relate to the story, so I had _Her Beast_ tattooed just above my wrist." Harry shrugged. "It's like a visible declaration of how I feel."

Charlie grunted and Ginny thought for certain that he was going to say something negative about it. Instead, he asked of her, "And how do you feel about all the markings?"

Ginny beamed. "I love them." She exchanged a look with Harry, felt the reassuring squeeze of his hand on hers, as well as the caress of his foot. He was leaving it up to her whether to tell them about hers. She could see Hermione, Chris, Sirius, and Miss Lena watching her to see what she would say next. Taking a deep breath, she rolled up her sleeve and displayed her wrist for her brother and father to see. "I have one, too. It's complementary to Harry's and says _His Beauty_."

Ginny all but held her breath as she waited for her father and brother's reactions to her revelation. Her father's gaze jumped between her wrist and Harry's. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking until he gave her a little smile, stood, and pushed his right sleeve up to show his bicep. To Ginny's and everyone else's shock, a smallish red heart with her parents' initials in the center had been inked onto the muscle.

"I can't be mad at you, sweetheart, when I've done the same thing."

"When did this happen, and how did I not know about it?" Charlie asked, obviously awestruck by what had been revealed.

Arthur covered his arm again and returned to his seat. "Back when You-Know-Who rose to power, no one felt certain of their futures. People married much sooner than they normally would have. By that time, Molly and I were certain we'd be marrying, too. My father was considered a blood traitor and was fascinated with Muggles. The summer before my last year at school, he took me to get it, knowing the war was just beginning. The Muggles, too, were fighting a war. Times were troubling. It was something I felt I really wanted to do and have never regretted it."

"Thanks for understanding, Dad."

Arthur winked at his daughter and with a wry grin, he said, "Just know your mother may not be quite so understanding."

Ginny let out a chuckle. "No, I don't suppose she will be, but it was my choice, not hers."

"Yes, it was."

"So, what did you think of the Fireball, Harry? A beauty, isn't she?"

Harry let out a dry chuckle. "I'm not sure I'd say that. Deadly is more like."

Charlie grinned. "Most beauties can be, Harry. Take Ginny, for example. She's incapacitated us all at one time or another. She's rather wicked with her wand when she wants to be."

Ginny grinned, feeling very proud that her brother thought her beautiful and talented with her wand. She'd definitely have to thank him later. Feeling Harry's gaze, she looked up into the eyes that she loved so much. A grin toyed with the corner of his mouth. She giggled at his next statement.

"Believe me, I already know the truth in that statement." Harry shrugged. "When I saw that dragon, though, I thought for sure I was done. Luckily, I had some help."

"You should have heard the people around us when that cobra showed up," Hermione stated. "They were all saying how deadly they were and that Harry could really be in trouble if he wasn't careful."

"But then, Harry started talking to it." Chris looked over to Harry and said with a bit of a laugh, "That's seriously weird, by the way, but cool, too." To the others, he continued his story, "Everyone went silent, exchanging shocked glances."

Ginny leaned against Harry's shoulder and looked up at him with a small grin. "I, on the other hand, was extremely happy to see that snake. The way you were looking, I knew you wouldn't last much longer. There was no way you were getting past that dragon on your own. I'd hoped you'd get the help you needed."

Harry responded with a sad smile. "To be honest, I worried I wouldn't be able to finish the task after all. Seeing that dragon almost made me give up. My head hurt so badly I could barely think. The snake offered to get the fragment for me, said he could smell that something wasn't right with me. Any other time, I would have argued that it was something I needed to do, but I just couldn't pass up that opportunity."

"Of course you couldn't, Harry," Sirius said with a nod. "Using _all_ the tools at your disposal is what boosted you into a tie for first place despite your time being slower than the other two. Dumbledore and Jian were very impressed."

"As was I," Miss Lena added.

"I feel I should scold you for putting yourself at risk for me, Mum, and Bill," Charlie said solemnly, "but I won't. I'll just be grateful instead. If you ever need anything from me, _anything_ , name it and I'll do what I can to help you."

Harry shook his head. "That's not necessary."

"Well, I say it is, and since I'm the one who was released, it's my opinion that counts."

Harry shrugged again, looking unconvinced. "If you say so."

From there, talk changed to idle chatter. Finished with their meal, the teens took Chris for a little tour of the Burrow's property, despite it being chilly with a decent breeze. They showed off the clearing often used for a Quidditch pitch, walked by the pond and river, and Ginny regaled Hermione and Chris with the story of Harry falling into the river the previous year during the Christmas holiday, much to Harry's chagrin. Chris playfully attempted to shove Harry into the freezing water. Ginny had to remind Chris that Harry was much stronger than Chris was and that it was likely _he_ who would end up in the water. Chris instantly rethought his plan, much to the amusement of the others.

When the wind picked up, the four decided to return to the house. The adults were still gathered around the table, talking amiably. Ginny and Hermione prepared some hot cocoa to help warm them up. Once finished, they took their drinks into the sitting room, Harry and Ginny nearly snuggling together on one sofa for warmth, while Chris and Hermione sat on the opposite sofa, not as close. They quietly chatted about whatever came to mind.

0000

"What's wrong, son?"

Charlie pulled his gaze from the scene in the sitting room, specifically his sister and Harry, to answer his father. "Why didn't I see it, Dad?" He gestured towards the other room. Ginny was nestled into Harry's side with his arm around her, holding her close as they talked with their friends. Their stockinged feet were propped on the coffee table. "It's so obvious. Why didn't I see it?"

"You haven't seen them together much, Charlie. It's understandable that you'd have misgivings about everything."

"But everyone else understood. I should have listened to you. I mean, I heard the same prophecy you did. I knew they'd end up together. I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. I'm a little surprised you and Mum have been alright with everything."

"Charlie, I watched them over Christmas holiday. I could see it for what it was – even before we learned of that prophecy. Then, the attack on Harry near the end of the school year happened. You may not know this, but Harry used himself as a shield for Ginny. He cast a Shield Charm but it wasn't very strong. He'd been hit a few times; Ginny had not. His first instinct had been to protect her instead of fighting back. Once Harry had made the decision to leave Hogwarts, Ginny unequivocally said she was going with him. Your mother and I knew if we didn't let her go, she'd go on her own. We thought it best she travel _with_ them, rather than _to_ them." Arthur chuckled. "Your sister can be very determined when she feels the need to be."

"Short Stuff has quite the temper at times," Sirius said with a grin.

Charlie turned to Harry's godfather, brows raised in surprise. "You get away with calling her that?"

"No," he said, drawing out the word. Then, Sirius' grin turned cheeky. "Why do you think I said it while she's not in here? I'm rather acquainted with tempers of redheads. Lily, though, could go either way. Blow up at you and get it over with, or just simmer and get even. Regardless, Ginny can be quite the force to be reckoned with. She's Harry's perfect match. I've seen her calm him down with a simple touch, something I've seen only one other time. Lily could do that with James. Sometimes, looking at Harry and Ginny together, it's like going back in time."

Charlie glanced into the sitting room again. Mugs sat forgotten on the coffee table. Now, Harry and his sister's heads were close together, chatting softly, looking very relaxed and happy. As Charlie watched, Harry smiled tenderly down at Ginny before dropping a kiss to the top of her head. Every so often, a foot would caress the other's foot. Charlie couldn't believe he'd been so stubborn and hard-headed about everything. Like his dad said, it was there for anyone to see. All they had to do was actually look.

"I wish I'd listened to all of you," he murmured.

Arthur patted Charlie's shoulder. "It doesn't matter now. You've apologized; they've accepted. We can put it behind us now."

With a nod, Charlie vowed he'd do everything he could to earn the forgiveness he'd been given.

0000

"So, you and Chris were looking rather friendly," Ginny said teasingly that night. Both lay in their respective beds, the light out. "Maybe you'll get some time alone together tomorrow and you two will move from friends to more."

Hermione let out a little sigh. "I hope so, but I'm not holding my breath. Ron will be here tomorrow." She let out a sarcastic snort. "I'm sure he'll find a way to keep anything from happening."

"Harry and I can keep him occupied."

"You'd be willing to do that?"

"Of course we would. Believe it or not, Harry would like to see you two together as well. He hasn't said it explicitly, but I know he'd be happy about it."

"Thanks, Ginny. I really appreciate that. It would be kind of nice to spend some time alone together, regardless that nothing may come of it." There was a moment of silence. Then, a snicker broke the stillness. "Could you imagine Harry letting something personal slip to your dad or brother?"

Ginny groaned. "That would have been just plain awful. I'm so glad that side effect didn't last very long."

"It didn't? From your expression earlier, I had the impression that it lasted for a little while and that something happened."

Ginny felt her face flame and was thankful for the darkness in her room. "Oh, er, well, it's personal."

"Enough said," Hermione responded with a yawn.

"Hermione?" When her friend responded with another yawn, Ginny changed her mind, "Never mind. You're tired."

"No, it's okay. Ask whatever it was that you were going to ask."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well, I was wondering something." Here, Ginny paused to figure out how to ask just what it was she wanted to ask. "Have you ever wanted to … touch … a boy? I mean, we've touched boys, obviously, but I mean really _touch_ a boy, if you get my meaning."

Ginny heard her friend roll onto her side and knew, though she couldn't see her clearly, that her friend was now facing her. "Are you saying that you want to?"

Ginny shrugged. "Maybe. Sort of. Yes. When Harry and I were sitting in that garden today, I almost did it. I just didn't know how he'd react if I did. Would he like it? Would he not? Would I like it? Would I not? I'm well aware of how he responds to me sometimes, and I was just curious, you know, what it would be like to …"

"I understand what you're meaning. To be honest, I've wondered that a few times, myself, though maybe more in a clinical way. Ever since Mum gave me The Talk two years ago, the thought about how different boys are to girls has popped into my head on occasion, and has had me wondering." Ginny heard a quiet laugh. "I've heard some seventh-year girls talking, and from what they say, I think Harry would probably like it, especially if you did it long enough for him to … er … " Hermione cleared her throat. "To be honest, this shouldn't be an issue considering what you've already done together."

"That was different. Actual touching … I don't know. It just seems more personal." Ginny cleared her own throat. "Anyway, thanks, Hermione. Good night."

"You're welcome. Good night, Ginny."


	20. Making New Choices

**_Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses in your life; you realize everything that happens in life is a result of the previous choice you've made and start making new choices to change your life._ _  
_ _―_ _Roy T. Bennett_**

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

Hermione sighed and turned away from the gurgling river, brushing the tendril of hair the breeze had caught away from her face, to face Chris. He stood a few paces away, his deep brown hair waving and eyes the color of dark chocolate regarding her with concern. True to Ginny's word, she and Harry had kept Ron occupied all morning, which allowed for this little walk with Chris.

Hermione held his gaze a moment before looking away. "I'm just upset."

"At me? Did I do something wrong?"

Hermione's eyes flew back to her companion. "No! Not at you!" She sighed again, her gaze dropping to the ground. "More at myself."

"Why?"

"Did Harry show you that strange symbol he found? The triangular one?" At Chris' nod, Hermione explained, "He asked to me to find out what it was." Hermione felt frustrated tears fill her eyes and she sniffed, swiping at them with her hand. "I haven't found anything. _Nothing!_ I've never had this much trouble finding information, and Harry's counting on me. If it wasn't important, he wouldn't have had that vision, dream, whatever. Me finding that information could be the difference between Harry's life or death. So far, I've let him down."

Chris closed the distance between them and gently cupped her face, looking deeply into her eyes. "Hermione, you haven't let him down. He wasn't expecting results right away. Like he said, that symbol has probably been around for centuries. It's going to take time to sift through all of that information, and with classes and school work, it's going to take some time. You _will_ succeed. Harry believes in you – and so do I."

Hermione didn't dare move, barely even dared to breathe, for fear of ruining the moment. She'd never been this close to a boy, not like this, and certainly not with Chris. The confidence in her that he just professed, emboldened her. With her breath held, she slowly leaned forward.

0000

"Thanks for keeping him occupied."

Harry turned his attention from the chess game between Ron and Charlie to Ginny, snuggled into his side on the sofa. He'd played several games with Ron. He'd won the first one, though it wasn't much of a contest with Ron having been distracted. After the loss, Ron focused and was victorious two of the next three games. Then, Charlie decided he wanted to play Ron.

"You don't have to thank me," Harry said just as softly as Ginny had spoken. His gaze flicked in the direction of the back door. All the adults had gathered in the kitchen, no doubt discussing the abductions. Harry chuckled. "I may be half-blind, but even I could see that they needed a little time alone. I hope it works out for them. It certainly won't be easy."

"It won't, no, but it's definitely worth it."

Hearing those words, seeing the smile she reserved only for him, Harry's resulting smile could have put the Cheshire Cat to shame, his utter joy reflecting in his eyes. Even after having been with Ginny for nearly a year, even though he'd heard her say it numerous times, it still thrilled him to hear it. He knew only too well how difficult a time they'd had lately – thanks to his stubbornness – and extreme gratitude filled him until it nearly leaked from his eyes.

"Thank you. I love that you think that, even after everything lately. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I've said it before, I'll say it again. You're not going to have to find out. You're stuck with me, Harry."

"And I couldn't be happier, though I don't think _stuck_ would be the best word to use. _Gifted_ is a better one, I think. It's the one I'd use, anyway." To punctuate his statement, Harry leaned in and brushed his lips over Ginny's, never mind the fact they were in plain view of everyone. Harry felt like it needed to be done, so he did it.

The opening back door drew the attentions of those in the sitting room, except for Charlie, who was studying the chess board carefully. Harry didn't know which expression he wanted to see more, Hermione's to see if she and Chris were officially together, or Ron's to see if he would be making a scene. Harry suspected Ron harbored some romantic feelings for Hermione, which would explain his hostility towards Chris. Ron never handled jealousy all that well. If things worked out for Hermione the way she wanted them to, things could get incredibly nasty rather quickly.

When his two friends entered the sitting room holding hands, Hermione practically beaming and Chris looking quite pleased, Harry's gaze jumped to Ginny's brother. Ron's ears reddened as did his cheeks, a sure sign his temper was about to break loose. Harry readied himself to jump into action if the situation warranted it. Charlie declared _Checkmate_ to end the game. To Harry's surprise, Ron shot to his feet, glared in the newest couple's direction, then stalked out the front door.

"What's with him?" Charlie asked, perplexed. "It's not like I haven't beaten him at chess before. Since dragons are so unpredictable, you have to think ten steps ahead so that you're always prepared."

"It's not you, Charlie," Harry said with the quickest of glances in Hermione's direction. "I'll go talk to him."

Exiting the front door, Harry saw Ron trudging along down the lane. He jogged to catch up, ignoring the cold bite of the wind through his shirt. "Hey, Ron," he said hesitantly, not wanting to invite Ron's well-known temper, but needing to say something, nonetheless.

"Go away, Harry. After spending the morning watching you and Ginny annoyingly lovey with each other, I don't particularly want to see you now."

"I know you have feelings for Hermione, and I know that seeing her with someone else isn't the greatest, but –"

Ron stopped abruptly, scowling fiercely at Harry. "You don't know anything! How could you? The girl you fancied returned those feelings! You have no clue what's it's like to see the girl you thought you were making progress with, the girl you thought would be yours, suddenly end up with someone else! I thought we were getting somewhere this year. I'd catch her glancing my way sometimes with a look in her eyes." Ron's expression darkened. "But then _he_ showed up with you and she's completely ignored me since! _He_ took her away from me! _You_ took her away from me!"

"Ron! Hermione isn't an object! She's a person with feelings and she's free to explore whatever feelings she has with whomever she chooses! Truthfully? What turned her away from you is this attitude, this jealousy! You always made snide comments about her wanting to read or study. How is she supposed to like you when you make fun of the most basic element that _is_ Hermione?"

"You don't understand! You can't! Everything's been so easy for you! You get the girl, you have money, you've seen another part of the world! What would you know about jealousy?"

Harry's jaw dropped in disbelief at what Ron had just said. For a moment, all Harry could do was stare at his friend. As if in response to his darkening mood, the wind picked up, plastering his shirt to his chest, the stinging bites of semi-frozen rain burning his skin.

Not thinking about what he was doing, Harry grabbed the front of Ron's jumper, and gave him a strong shake. "Oh, yeah," he snapped, sarcasm dripping from every word, "my life is so ridiculously easy! I've been orphaned _twice_! Every month I have to endure pain that's been said to at least equal, if not surpass, that of the Cruciatus Curse! I've been forced out of my own country, away from the school my parents attended, because of it! I have someone after me, who has forced me to enter a stupid Tournament that's supposed to be for students with far more superior skills than I've got! And what was that last one? Oh yeah! I have to kill Voldemort if we're ever going to be free of him!" Harry gave Ron another good shake and let him go. With a calmer voice, he said, "Don't you dare tell me my life is easy. You wouldn't have lasted a day in my shoes. Believe me, I know all about jealousy. I've learned, though, that you can't let it rule your life. If you do, you miss out on the good things that are actually there if you'd just look."

Having stumbled and landed a few feet from where Harry stood, Ron's expression crumbled. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean it. Your life is far from easy, I know. You just handle it so well, I just, sometimes I forget."

"Lucky you. Listen, Ron, like it or not, Hermione's with Chris and she's happy. Maybe it'll last, maybe it won't, but she deserves the chance to find out, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, I suppose. I guess I only have myself to blame."

As Harry helped Ron stand, his eyes were drawn to the black cord around Ron's neck. "I thought the sunstone would help, but it isn't enough, is it?"

Ron pulled the glittery red, Quaffle-shaped pendant from under his shirt. "It does a bit." He offered Harry a weak smile. "I guess my temper is too much for it."

Harry responded by giving his friend a warmer smile. "I'll have another one made. Red Jade is stronger material, therefore, the magic applied to it should be stronger. It'll also help you channel that energy more constructively. You still have to put forth the effort, though."

"I will, Harry."

"Good. Now, come on. It's really raining and I'm freezing!"

"Well, you're the idiot who came out here without a jumper or cloak."

"Yeah, well, this idiot was chasing another one."

The boys laughed, then ran back to the house. By the time they stepped onto the front porch, it was raining so hard one could barely see ten feet in front of them, both boys soaked to the bone. Unfortunately for Harry, he was pounced upon the instant he stepped foot inside the sitting room.

"Are you absolutely out of your mind, Harry James Potter?! Out there with no cloak or jumper?! Now, you're soaked! I swear if you don't get sick, it'll be a miracle! Look at you! You're practically blue! Get upstairs and get out of those wet clothes!"

Harry couldn't help himself. He grinned. He loved seeing Ginny's spirit. He knew she yelled because she cared. He could hear snickers from those behind Ginny, and Ron muttered that he was absolutely mental for being with Ginny. Harry ignored them all, stepped right up to Ginny and kissed her, which had its desired effect. She jumped back, gasping at his frozen touch, no longer angry with him.

Cheekily, he winked at her and said softly, "Thanks, Ginny. I'm warmer already." With that parting shot, he took off up the stairs.

0000

The rain continued the rest of the day. Ron impressed everyone with his attempts at engaging Chris and Hermione in conversation. He'd even offered to teach Chris how to play chess, which Chris readily agreed. Harry made the monumental error of sneezing – once – and Ginny bundled him up on the sofa, ordering him to stay put. Every time he tried to throw off the blanket, complaining he was too warm, Ginny was there with her hand on his forehead, tucking the blanket a little more securely around him. The others found it highly amusing. Eventually, the heat and comfort made Harry drowsy and he drifted off to sleep.

After lunch, Harry was released from his sofa confinement. Fred and George brought out a Muggle game they discovered in the village called Twister. The twins convinced Harry, Ginny, Chris, and Hermione to play, along with themselves. Mr. Weasley practically begged to be the caller. Fred and George explained how to play as everyone took up a spot around the color-dotted mat.

"Er, Fred," Harry looked around the mat at the other five, then at the mat itself, "there's not going to be room for all of us."

"That's an easy fix," Charlie said with a grin. Waving his wand, he enlarged the mat. "Problem solved."

Mr. Weasley flicked the spinner. Once it stopped, he called, "Right hand on blue."

It didn't take long before the six of them were in some precarious and embarrassing positions. Harry was sprawled out facing the ceiling, with one leg twisted around one of Ginny's legs, while the other reached between George's feet. Ginny's nose pressed into Harry's right hip, while Hermione's shoulder pressed against his left calf. Chris had somehow managed to arc over Hermione, but his face was even with her chest. One of Fred's legs rested between Ginny's and Harry's feet, while his other one bent around one of Hermione's arms. George somehow maneuvered himself around and through Chris and Hermione. To everyone's surprise, the twins were out first. Each shrugged, not the least bit upset.

Being competitive, the remaining four played on for some time before Chris' elbow touched the mat, taking him out of the game. Hermione was the next to fall out, leaving Harry and Ginny to fight it out. Ginny had made the mistake of leaving her hair down and that was her undoing. As she moved her left hand, it found her hair and slid out from underneath her, unbalancing her.

To Harry's misfortune, her knee planted itself in a very sensitive spot, Ginny's full weight behind it. As all the males in the room cringed, and Ginny profusely apologized, Harry curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his middle and biting the inside of his lip to keep from groaning out loud. He was used to pain, but this was a completely different sort. Wave after excruciating wave pulsed through him with each beat of his heart. Barely breathing, Harry could only concentrate on keeping himself from heaving all over the floor.

When he could finally focus on something other than the ache in his lower abdomen, he took a tentative breath and opened eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed. His glasses frames digging into his cheek, he turned his head enough to relieve the pressure and came face to, well, knee with the instrument of his torture.

"Harry?" he heard from above him, a tremulous voice. "Harry, I'm so sorry. Will you be okay?"

Harry let out a noise between a groan and an affirmation. Very slowly, he relaxed and tried to move. The pain still lingered, but at least it wasn't anywhere near as intense as it was. As carefully as he could, he sat up, though he refused to look at anyone.

"I'm fine," he rasped.

"Yeah, not likely, kiddo," Sirius said from Harry's other side. "Let's get you onto the sofa for a bit."

Harry accepted Sirius' help to stand and gingerly walked over to the sofa, easing himself into a sitting position, still too embarrassed to look at anyone. Taking the throw pillow beside him, Harry hugged it to his lap.

In an effort to break the awkward silence in the room, Harry looked up at Ginny, who still watched him closely, brow furrowed in concern, and said with a wobbly grin, "Nice aim, Ginny."

"Harry, you know I didn't mean to do that." Ginny carefully sat next to Harry.

"Of course I do," Harry reassured her with a more natural smile.

"Don't worry, Short Stuff. Harry, here, will be fine, given enough time." Sirius winked playfully at her. "We have a few spots at which we're vulnerable. You just happened to find the best – or worst – one."

Another awkward silence fell upon the sitting room until Fred spoke. "Ah, I just can't do it, Georgie. I feel Harry's pain way too much to joke about how he _needed_ to protect himself better, or how Ginny _needed_ to pay better attention. No, I just don't see the _need_."

The majority of the pain having mostly subsided, Harry chuckled at Ginny's brother. Leave it up to one or both of them to crack a joke when it was needed. He snorted at his own pun.

"You should be more careful, Gin-Gin," George said with a sly grin and wink at Ginny. "There will come a time when you'll want that to be functioning properly."

Both Harry and Ginny blushed at that statement. Ginny cleared her throat and said overly brightly, "That was fun. Not the last bit, of course." She rubbed the spot where her hair had been pulled. "Congratulations, Harry, you won."

Harry shrugged, a small grin in place. "I'm used to being stretched and twisted around at odd angles." His offhand comment silenced everyone as they looked at him. Harry shrugged again. "Well, it's true. It's about time my lycanthropy works _for_ me rather than _against_ me, right?"

"Right," Ginny agreed, "which is why you're sitting out the next round. You have an unfair advantage. Two, actually. You're stronger than the rest of us. We should have thought about that before we played the first round."

"I don't know," Fred said, a sly grin on his own face now, "Harry may be the most _dis_ advantaged right now. Maybe we should go ahead and let him play."

Harry shook his head, more than content to let the others play. Ginny ended up taking that round. The last round ended in a tie when both Chris and Hermione hit the floor at the same time, not long after the twins did. No one wanted to play again so the game was put away. Dinner was prepared and eaten. Chris, with help from Miss Lena, enlightened everyone on the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Everyone took turns expressing something for which they were thankful.

When it was Harry's turn, he took a moment to look at each of the others. "I'm thankful for Uncle Remus taking that job at Hogwarts last year. If he hadn't, there's a good chance I'd never have gotten to know you all, minus Sirius, of course."

"Well said, kiddo." Sirius nodded his head, silently commending Harry on his choice of words.

Harry shrugged, slightly embarrassed about having put his thoughts and feelings out there for everyone to see, but it was getting easier for him to do so. As he thought back over the past year, he realized he had a lot to be thankful for, things that had changed the course his life had been taking. He knew, now, that if he'd continued on that road, he'd have been an angry, bitter, and very lonely person.

" _Sometimes, change is what we need,_ " he quoted. "I don't know who said that or when I read it, but it's rather appropriate, all things considered."

Harry received many nods and sounds of agreement to that. He felt a light squeeze at his knee. Turning his attention to Ginny, he saw her smiling softly up at him, making a comforting warmth radiate from his chest outward to his fingertips and toes. She was the one responsible for opening his eyes to exactly what he was missing by closing himself off as he was. She taught him it was better to feel and share his emotions, rather than push them deep down inside.

"Change is definitely what you needed," Ginny said softly in his ear. "I love the person you've become and are still becoming. I can remember a time when you wouldn't have said what you were thankful for. You're becoming the person you've always been meant to be."

"It's all thanks to you, Ginny. You've been my light in the storm. Whenever I feel beaten down or lost, all I have to do is look for you, because I know you'll show me the way."

Ginny's brows rose as she stared up at him. "Wow. That was rather poetic."

Harry looked down at her, a bit disgruntled. "You're surprised. I'm a bit hurt by that."

"Oh, don't be. That wasn't _Wow, I'm surprised._ It was _Wow, that was so lovely and sweet_."

"Oh. In that case, I guess I should try to be more poetic in the future."

Ginny gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Just be yourself, Harry. That's all I could ask or want from you."

0000 Saturday Nov 26

Miss Lena and Sirius surprised Harry and the others with their announcement the following morning just as everyone was finishing their breakfasts. "We should get back to school today. You three need time to readjust to the time difference. You'll be expected to attend your classes on Monday."

Harry caught the quick exchange of glances between Chris and Hermione. "But not until later, right? I mean, it's earlier there, so if we timed it right, we could be tired from being awake all day and get back there in time to go to bed at a normal hour."

Miss Lena gave Harry a small smile and Harry wondered if she knew exactly what he was trying to do. "That sounds like a good plan."

Sirius took his plate to the sink. "Okay, anyone interested in learning a highly difficult spell, follow me."

Harry was surprised when Hermione didn't jump up immediately. The Hermione he was used to would have been out of her seat at the words _interested in learning_. But then, Chris stood and held out his hand to her, which she took with a brilliant smile. The two grabbed cloaks and gloves, then followed Sirius out the back door into the diffused sunlight of the overcast morning.

With brows raised, Harry asked, "What do you think? Up for a challenge?"

Ginny gave him a cheeky smile and said, "I'm with you, aren't I? Of course I'm up for a challenge. Always!"

The two of them left the table amid some chuckles, and dressed in their winter gear, Ron and the twins following close behind, with Fred all but crowing about Ginny having 'put Harry in his place.' George added to the fun, saying it was a good thing Harry was up for a challenge on a daily basis, laughing when Ginny turned back to him and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Sirius," Hermione asked, her hand raised to about shoulder height. "We're not supposed to be doing magic."

"Technically, no. However, seeing as this is a Wizarding residence, the Ministry won't know. Ron, Fred, George, you have your dad's permission to use your wands at this time _only_." Once he received their nods of understanding, he continued with the morning's activity. "The charm I'm going to teach you is the Patronus Charm. Let me say this again. It's a very difficult charm. Some adults never learn to do it."

"So, why teach us?" Harry asked.

"You, Harry, especially need to learn it. The Patronus is used against a Dementor or a Lethifold. With a Dementor, you will feel cold, dread, and you will hear – maybe even see – the worst things that have happened in your life. That goes for the rest of you, too. And Harry, let's be honest. With this Tournament, there's no telling what you may face. Then, there's the very real war we'll be finding ourselves in. The Dementors went against us during the last war. They likely will do so again. It's best if you all can at least produce a little bit of something, just enough to get you out of a tight situation."

"But surely Harry won't be facing a Dementor!?" Ginny cried, stuck on the first part of Sirius' statement, horrified at the idea.

Harry took the hand that suddenly clutched his arm, squeezing it reassuringly. "Learning it can't hurt. Even if I don't need it for the Tournament, it could come in handy sometime." To Sirius, he asked, "Can you show us your Patronus? Since you're teaching us, I'm assuming you can conjure one."

"Yes, I can." With a wave of his wand, a silvery crow appeared.

"But I thought a wizard or witch's Patronus would be the same as their Animagus form, if they _were_ an Animagus," Hermione blurted out, stunned at the bird that flew around the group.

"Sometimes, that's the case. It certainly was for James, and it is also the case for Professor McGonagall, but it's not any sort of rule."

"So why a crow?" Ginny asked.

"Well, as has been explained to me, crows are often considered to represent knowledge, shape-shifting, eloquence, prophecy, boldness, skill, cunning, and trickery."

Harry snorted. "If that's not you, I don't know what would be, then." Laughing, he added, "Not to mention that crows are black."

"Now, I want all of you to close your eyes and think of a memory," Sirius instructed them, ignoring Harry's last comment. "It has to be a supremely happy one. Let the happiness you felt at that moment fill you completely. Once you've done so, open your eyes, wave your wands in a clockwise circle and call out _Expecto Patronum_!"

Only Harry and Ginny produced small wisps of silvery smoke-like light. Sirius laughed in delight. "Good job! Keep trying. You have to focus completely. Tune out everyone else and every _thing_ else. Immerse yourselves into your memories. If, after several attempts, you're still not making progress, try a different memory. It needs to be strong and emotionally powerful."

Harry thought of all the special moments he'd spent with Ginny, of when he'd told her what had been his biggest secret at the time and she hadn't turned him away. He thought of how she'd taken care of him when he'd become sick, taking him down to Uncle Remus' quarters, and had visited him frequently that week. In his mind's eye, he saw the first Christmas they spent together, their first kiss. He thought of her declaration of leaving Hogwarts with him. The dance they shared in Pennsylvania on that ferry as they traveled to Louisiana came to his mind next, how she looked so beautiful she nearly took his breath away. The memory of their conversation last month about the wolf and what it meant for him, now, came to mind. Their matching tattoos and the meaning behind them followed. Then, the night at Hogwarts popped to the forefront of his mind.

" _Expecto Patronum!_ " Harry watched the silvery light leave his wand and thought it took a vague shape of something with four legs, but something wasn't quite right with it.

"Excellent, kiddo! Not bad at all for your second try."

"It looked weird, though."

"Harry, you're missing the point. You've tried this spell a total of two times and you managed to produce something both times! That's unheard of! It's brilliant!"

"I know, but, it just … it looked like some … mix of creatures or something."

"Try it again."

So, Harry focused on the memories once more, then called out the incantation again, and produced the same result. "See? It doesn't look right."

Sirius checked on the others' progress before turning back to Harry. "Maybe it's the memory you're using. What is it?"

Harry blushed, looked down at his shoes a moment, then met his godfather's questioning gaze. "Ginny," he said softly.

Sirius merely nodded, as if he'd expected Harry's response. "Okay, but which one?"

Harry shrugged. "All of them. When she discovered what I am and what I have to do, our first kiss, our very important talks, our tattoos …" There was no way he was going to add the night at Hogwarts.

"Do you want to know what I think, Harry?" Ginny asked after failing to produce anything on her third attempt. At Harry's nod, she explained, "All of those memories are tied in with your lycanthropy. Maybe it's conflicting with your inner self and that's why you're getting the result you are."

Harry could only stare, dumbfounded, at Ginny's perfectly rational explanation. Sirius, however, had no such problem. "I knew you were smart, Short Stuff. That makes perfect sense. Harry, concentrate on just one memory."

As hard as he tried, Harry failed to get _any_ sort of result while using just one single memory, and he began to get frustrated. "Why is it that I can get _something_ when using all of those memories, but can't get _anything_ when using just one? You'd think the feeling would be more concentrated or something and make it easier to cast."

"What were you using?" Ginny asked, having failed, yet again, to produce anything.

"The, er, night we fell asleep on the couch and were caught by Miss Lena."

Ginny quickly searched for Sirius and found him helping Fred and George and not paying her and Harry any attention. She faced Harry fully. "Well, I guess that wasn't a strong enough memory. As for your question, think about it. With all of those memories, you have all those emotions pooled together. I think that's why you could get something then. Now, you're having to rely on the feelings evoked by a single memory. I think that's why it has to be a really powerful one."

"That makes sense, I guess, but the problem is that all of my memories with you are tied up with the wolf in some way. I don't have any memories that aren't."

Ginny shook her head. "That's not entirely true. Remember our kiss when you came back at the end of last year to take the exams? We hadn't seen each other in two weeks."

"True. If that's what you're trying to use, though, it's obviously not enough."

Ginny glanced back over her shoulder to see Sirius talking with Chris. When she faced Harry once more, she had a certain gleam in her eye, one he wasn't sure how to interpret. He figured it out fast as Ginny slid her hands into his hair and pulled him down into a rather amorous kiss. One of Harry's hands slipped into her hair, while the other arm wrapped around Ginny's waist, holding her close.

" _Oi!_ Stop it! I don't want to see that!"

Ron's exclamation had a wet blanket effect on Harry, who ended the kiss reluctantly. He wasn't entirely sure if he felt warm due to being caught snogging Ginny in front of everyone or if it was from the snog itself. Either way, he didn't dare glance at anyone.

Ginny, naturally, didn't have that problem. "Shut it, Ron. In case you haven't noticed, it's cold out here. Harry and I were just staying warm."

"That's what the Hot-Air Charm is for," Ron griped.

"Yeah, well, I was also trying to give Harry another memory to use for his Patronus, so just shut it."

Running his left hand through his hair, Harry awkwardly cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on what they were supposed to be doing. This time, when he cast the charm, a form came out of his wand, still too indistinct to figure out what it was, but it didn't have the unnatural look the other form had. He tried ten more times, but was met with no success. It frustrated him to be so close, yet still be so far away from achieving a full corporeal Patronus, despite the fact that, technically, he shouldn't have been able to get anything at all.

Judging by the looks on the others' faces, they hadn't had any success, either. The twins looked slightly disappointed, though determined. Ron exuded defeat. Hermione and Chris appeared troubled, but also determined to get it, and Ginny looked just as irritated at her failure as he, himself, was at his own. Sirius had warned them that it was a difficult charm, but Harry hadn't been prepared for the letdown after his earlier success.

"Don't be discouraged," Sirius told all of the kids. "I do want you to practice the charm as much as you can once you're back at school. Better to be able to produce something and not need it, rather than need it and not be able to produce even a mist."

They all trooped back into the house, had some hot cocoa and relaxed. That is, they relaxed until Hermione brought the outside world back into the sitting room. "Harry, can I see your medallion again? I'd like to take another look at it. It's a clue to the next task. You should figure it out sooner rather than later. Maybe I can help."

Figuring it couldn't hurt, Harry brought the medallion down from his overnight bag and handed it to Hermione, knowing if anyone could decipher the pictures carved on the back of the medallion it would be his friend. He waited patiently as Hermione studied it carefully, drawing a finger over the scenes depicted. Others wanted to see it, so it made the rounds and, eventually, was back in Hermione's grasp.

"Well, something to do with water, certainly," Hermione declared. She pointed to the top scene. "This wavy line looks like water. This figure is under the line, so, perhaps, it's someone underwater. Maybe you'll have to do something underwater."

"But what about this second figure?" Chris then asked. "This one is shown lying down. Why would there be two figures?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's two different phases of the task, like in the first one. That would explain this bottom section. It looks like a river or something. Is there a river near your school, Harry?"

Harry snorted and shared an amused glance with Ginny and Chris. "Yeah, Hermione, you could say that there's a river close by."

Hermione tilted her head to one side as she studied the other three, her brow furrowed. Then, she rolled her eyes and huffed. "Okay, what's the joke?"

"New Orleans is situated on the bank of the second longest river in the U.S," Chris explained with a grin. "The school isn't far from it, really."

"Oh, well, maybe that's the answer, then. Maybe the next task will include the river. Maybe you'll have to swim. _Can_ you swim?"

"Fairly well," Harry replied, nodding.

Ginny eyed Harry critically. "Are you just saying that or do you actually mean it? Maybe you should take advantage of the pool when we get back to school. That river is a very large one. Swimming in it has to be different than swimming in a small one or a lake."

"True." Harry gave an unconcerned shrug. "Maybe I can do that in the evenings or something, since I tend to have a lot less schoolwork to worry about."

With that somewhat settled, Harry took the medallion back upstairs and packed it away. The remainder of the day they spent lounging in the sitting room, though Chris and Hermione did indulge in a quick walk outside. Ginny whispering in Harry's ear that their friends likely wanted to snog in private made Harry want to grab Ginny by the hand and take her outside as well. He refrained, however. He knew he and Ginny would have any time they wanted. Chris and Hermione only had the next few hours to hold them until Christmas. Harry knew if things had been the other way around, he'd have wanted all the private time with Ginny he could get. Instead, Harry engaged Ron in a battle of wizard's chess, Ginny contentedly leaning against him and watching with amusement as he trounced her brother several games in succession.

Late that evening, it was time for goodbye. While Ginny said her farewells to her dad and Charlie, Harry said his to Ron and the twins. Hermione and Chris were a short distance away saying their own private goodbyes.

"Fred, George, I haven't used that little gift you gave me last month yet, but rest assured, it will get used. If you'd give me a hint as to what it does, I'd have a better idea of when to use it."

"Now, now, don't be _nosy_ ," Fred said with a playful wink.

" _Ear, ear_!" replied George with a huge grin.

"Besides," continued Fred, "we wouldn't want the result to s _lip_ out prematurely."

George shook his head dramatically. " _Eye_ certainly wouldn't, that's for sure."

Harry grinned at the pranksters. They'd just given him a huge clue. All the emphasized words made up the face, so whatever that little potion did, it involved the face. He patted each one on the shoulder.

"Thanks, you two. I have the perfect time in mind. Chris has told me about some celebration called Mardi Gras that happens every year. Every night for _two weeks_ the school holds a small celebration. They even take an afternoon off and go watch the parades. I think your potion would be perfect for one of those school parties."

Identical Cheshire cat grins appeared on the two Weasley faces. "Thanks, mate. That would be brilliant," they chorused.

Next, Harry spoke to Ron. "Thanks, Ron, for easing up on Hermione. I can only imagine how difficult it may be for you, but if you change how you talk to her, how you treat her, you may just end up where Chris is now. Then again, maybe you won't. I don't know, but either way, your friendship will grow, and that's a good thing, right?"

Ron nodded solemnly, his eyes flicking briefly to the girl in question. "Right. Er, Harry, thanks, you know, for entering the Tournament. At least one of us could do something to help, though I wish it didn't have to be you. I hate feeling helpless."

"You don't have to thank me, Ron. I've already explained why I did it. Just remember that, really, by staying out of trouble, you're actually helping your dad. You not being in any sort of trouble gives him one less person to worry about."

"I suppose. I never thought of it like that."

By this time, Chris and Hermione had finished with their goodbyes. Harry stepped up to his bushy-haired, intelligent friend. "Hermione, keep Ron's spirits up, will you? Don't let him dwell on his brother and mum okay? Practice the Patronus Charm as much as you can. I can't wait to hear what your form is. Help Ron, but be nice about it. You know how he is."

"I will, Harry. I'll work even harder on finding the meaning of that symbol you showed me. I'll talk to the House ghosts, maybe even the portraits. One of them could surely tell me about it."

Harry gently gripped Hermione's shoulders, gazing intently into her eyes. "Hermione, don't stress yourself out over it. I don't expect you to figure it out right away."

"But, Harry, it's so important."

"It is important, but not to the exclusion of everything else. Okay?" He debated with himself for a few seconds, then said, "If you have to, go to Dumbledore with it. It's possible he may know something and I can't afford to leave a possible source alone."

Hermione nodded, then smiled. "Okay."

After they shared a quick hug, Harry was pulled over to Mr. Weasley and Charlie to thank him once again for being willing to enter the Tournament. Harry tried to shrug away their words, but neither man would allow it. Finally, Harry managed to extract himself from them and joined Ginny, Chris, Sirius, and Miss Lena by the door. With a final wave, he grabbed the scroll they were using as their Portkey, gripped Ginny's hand, then felt the familiar sensation that Portkeys always elicited.

0000

Having waited until late evening British time to return to school, it was easier for all of them to re-integrate into Magnolia House's time zone. Monday evening, Harry headed for the pool. Not wanting him to be there alone, Ginny and Chris accompanied him, Chris with schoolwork. Ginny refreshed Harry on the four swimming strokes she'd shown him over the month they'd traveled. Sirius also showed up, wearing a whistle around his neck. He transfigured Harry's glasses into goggles.

After two laps of freestyle, Sirius let him rest a few minutes, which Harry was thankful for. He didn't remember swimming being so taxing. A short whistle had Harry back in the water, this time doing two laps of breaststroke. Then, rest. Whistle. Two laps of butterfly. Rest. By the time the final whistle blew for Harry to get back into the water, he was ready to be done. Thankfully, it was something rather easy and relaxing, the backstroke for one lap, and the sidestroke for one lap.

Three times a week, Harry was in the pool. While it was tiring, he enjoyed the feeling of gliding through the water. He could tell his technique was improving as his speed was increasing. As if those weren't enough, his muscles took on more definition, a fact he'd noticed Ginny really liked. He'd caught her staring during his breaks. She was definitely good for his ego! Of course, on the evenings she didn't have any schoolwork, he challenged her to a race which, more often than not, kept his ego in check.

On the second Saturday of December, students were allowed to visit Magazine Street with reminders of the bordering streets they weren't allowed to cross. With Sirius' instructions to behave ringing in his ears, Harry and Ginny left the school. They'd decided to spend the morning alone, then meet up with Chris, Amelie, and Raven at one of the little cafes for lunch.

Walking hand-in-hand, Harry looked down at Ginny. "Any idea where you want to go first or what you want to look at?"

Curiously, Ginny seemed to blush. "Well," she hedged, not really meeting his gaze. "I do need to find something for the Yule Ball. None of the dresses I have are long-sleeved. I'd freeze at Hogwarts."

Harry could have smacked himself for not thinking of that sooner. Tilting her chin up, he gave her a smile. "Can't have that, can we? Come to think of it, I could use something myself. Alright, first stop is for the Yule Ball, then. If we can't find something here, then we can ask Miss Lena for permission to go to Magic, Inc. to find something there."

As they walked along, Harry looked around them, at all the people simply going about their daily routines. For all any of them knew, he and Ginny were doing the same. It was nice to be able to walk amongst a crowd and not worry about being accosted, or having someone pointing and whispering in his direction. It made for a wonderful contrast. Harry knew, however, that it wouldn't last. They had to go back to Hogwarts next year; there really wasn't much choice. He couldn't fight Voldemort from here, and things were bound to get worse over there before they would get better. This line of thinking caused him to sigh heavily.

"What's wrong?"

Harry shrugged, then stopped walking. "I've been doing some thinking. We have to go back to Hogwarts next year. As much as I'd love to finish my education here, I don't have that luxury. I have a feeling things are going to get really bad back home. I can't do what I have to do if I'm here."

"I know, Harry," Ginny said softly. "I've been thinking the same thing. I'd love to stay here, too, but what's coming is bigger than us. We can't be selfish."

"No." Harry collected himself with another huge breath. "Well, we'll just have to enjoy it here as much as we can, learn as much as we can so that we can share what we've learned with the others. Maybe set up a couple of groups or something. One for the spells and techniques we've been taught, and another for Potions. With Snape as teacher, everyone could use some help in that subject."

Ginny snorted. "That's certainly true." Her brown eyes scanned their surroundings, her brow furrowing slightly. "Do you think we'll find a shop here? If I remember right, there's mostly casual wear shops and tourist-type things."

Harry chewed the inside of his lip in thought. A moment later, his expression brightened. "We could ask Alex. He would know if we'd be wasting our time looking for a formal wear shop here."

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's go."

Finding Alex's shop was easy. It was the only one that had a multitude of young people entering and leaving it. Harry squeezed into the crowded interior, pulling Ginny close to his back so as not to get separated. He took note that Alex was currently talking with someone, so Harry and Ginny wandered the shop as best they could, ending up not far from where Alex stood.

A few moments later, Miss Lena's husband greeted the pair jovially. "Harry, Ginny, welcome. Harry, I haven't had the chance to thank you for that potion research. That potion will change the lives of many people, but I'm sure you are well aware of that."

Harry smiled a bit shyly. "I'm just glad there's something to it. I'll be so glad when I can try it."

Alex's hand landed affectionately on Harry's shoulder. "I know, _mon jeune loup_. You'll get your chance. I just couldn't, in good conscience, let you take something so experimental. Who knows? Maybe this time next month, you and Lew will be taking it with me."

"I hope so."

"Now, is there something I can help you with, or are you just looking around?"

"Alex, is there a shop near here that sells formal wear? There's this dance at Hogwarts this Christmas and –"

Alex held up a hand to stop Harry's words. "Say no more. I remember Lena mentioning something about that. By the way, quite the noble thing you're doing. I hope it all works out."

"Me, too," Harry replied, Ginny nodding her agreement.

"As for shops, yes, there is one. A block down, I think. It's called The Witching Hour. It's a Wizarding shop, and, despite it's name, it sells both witch and wizard wear. If you don't find what you're looking for there, the owner can either have it made or special order it."

"Okay, thanks."

"Sure. Glad I could help." Alex looked over the teens' shoulders a second. "Well, I need to tend to the shop. Always busy on these days."

Just as Alex was turning away, Harry had a sudden thought. "Alex, would you sell joke products if they were really good?"

"I might," Alex said, looking intrigued. "Everyone can use a good laugh. I won't sell anything harmful or degrading. Why do you ask?"

"My brothers," Ginny spoke up, "they're pranksters and rather brilliant at it. Their greatest wish is to have their own joke shop one day. They just lack the money to buy a storefront. That, and they're still just over a year underage, but they'll need the money once they do become of age."

"I'm interested. Do you have any samples of their work?"

"I do, actually," Harry said with a nod and grin, "in my room. I'll send you what I have. You can look it all over and then decide."

"Sounds like a plan, Harry. Now, I really must get back to the business."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Oh, don't be sorry. I'm always willing to listen to new business ventures. Good luck with your clothing hunt."

Harry and Ginny ended up buying some sweets before leaving the shop. Ginny surprised Harry by giving him an emphatic kiss once they'd stepped outside, leaving him rather dazed for a few moments.

"Er, Ginny, not that I'm complaining," he said once he'd gathered his wits about him, "but what was that for, exactly?"

"That was for promoting Fred and George's joke stuff. They'll be so thrilled to have a new market. If it all goes well, they'll have enough money saved up to buy that storefront by the time they graduate."

Harry shrugged. "They deserve it. They're certainly brilliant, as you said."

The smile Harry loved so much, the one she reserved for him alone, graced her features as she looked up at him. Then, she pulled him down for a softer kiss.

"Come on," Ginny whispered afterwards. "Let's find that shop. I hope they have Muggle dresses rather than witch's robes. I'm tired of robes."

"Let's go find out."

0000

As it turned out, The Witching Hour carried mostly Muggle formal attire, with a few robes in stock for the more traditionalists. Harry waited patiently and gave an opinion on each dress Ginny tried on. Personally, he thought they all looked fine, but were lacking that extra something, though he didn't know what. Then, Ginny stepped out of the changing room and he gasped.

"That one," he breathed. "That's definitely the one."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, sounding very skeptical.

"Ginny, you look like angel. I couldn't be more sure."

"I agree with your friend," a passing shop attendant said. "The way the asymmetrical collar dips to the right, how the material is gathered slightly at the waist on the same side, the floor-length skirt just seems to float around you, and the light jade green color is perfect for you. The dress is simple yet elegant. This is definitely your dress."

"And it has long sleeves. Well, okay, then." Ginny beamed. "That's me taken care of, except for shoes. Your turn, Harry."

With Ginny's discerning eye for help, Harry settled on a traditional-style tuxedo of a gray color so dark to as almost look black and a white shirt. His waistcoat, bow tie, and pocket square were colored a green a couple of shades deeper than Ginny's dress, almost a pine green. Harry wasn't fond of the lavish attire, but if Ginny's expression was anything to go by, he'd wear the suit without complaint anytime she wanted.

Harry insisted on paying for both of their outfits, telling Ginny to save her money for other things, to which Ginny instantly grinned and promptly dragged him off to a jewelry shop to look for something to go with her dress. Harry inwardly congratulated himself for heading off her oncoming argument. It didn't hurt that he loved watching the pride skate across her face as she paid for her own purchases using some of the Muggle money she had. He'd do anything to extend that ability, even if it meant enduring her sometimes wicked temper.

The couple laughed at various things and chatted about inconsequential subjects as they wandered through the shops, neither wanting to bring down the other by mentioning the full moon only a week away. Having spotted Sirius a few times, they figured he had patrol duty to make sure everyone behaved themselves. Harry snorted at the thought and explained his reaction to Ginny, which also made her snort. The thought of Sirius making sure someone behaved was very humorous.

At noon, they caught up with their friends at the agreed upon cafe and had a pleasant lunch. Afterwards, the girls dragged Ginny off to have some fun of their own, stating they'd meet the boys back at the cafe in a couple of hours.

Chris turned to Harry. "Actually, I'm glad they left. I need help. I don't know what to get Hermione for Christmas. I mean, I've thought of a book, but she probably has an extensive collection already. I'd hate to get her something she already has. The last thing I want is to struggle to find her a gift with the girls present, probably giggling over the fact." The last bit he said accompanied an eye roll.

Harry, hiding his own amusement by biting his lip, replied, "Let's find that book shop. There's bound to be something in there that she doesn't have. Maybe a book on Louisiana's history? Or one on the folklore of the area?" His barely hidden grin grew wide as he asked, "Does Magnolia House have a book on its history? One of Hermione's favorite books is on Hogwarts' history."

Chris' eyes widened in excitement. "It does, actually. That's perfect! I should have just asked you a long time ago. I've been nearly in a panic trying to figure out what to get her."

As they headed to Alex's shop for the book on Magnolia House, Harry laughed to himself. He'd received a frantic letter from Hermione just two days ago asking for advice on gift ideas for Chris. Harry had written her with the same suggestions he'd given Chris. It certainly would be fun to be in the same room when they opened their gifts to each other. They'd likely figure out quickly that he'd given them the same advice, but he shrugged to himself. He wasn't wrong in his suggestions. Maybe next time, if there was one, they'd simply consider what they, themselves, would like. Not that Harry minded giving his friends help. He just knew it would feel more personal if they thought up their gifts themselves. In their defense, they hadn't been able to spend much time together. He supposed time was all they needed to come to the point of figuring things out on their own.

Two hours later, they caught back up with the girls. Harry smiled at the jubilant light in Ginny's eyes, making their bright brown seem even brighter. In his opinion, she didn't spend enough time with her friends. No, instead, she spent nearly all her time with him, and while he enjoyed having her company, he could see that being around other girls helped Ginny in ways that being around him simply didn't. It made him feel just a tiny bit guilty that she did spend so much time with him and that he hadn't given it any thought before.

Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face because Ginny hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Whatever it is that brought that sad look to your eyes, forget it." She punctuated her statement with a little kiss.

He really should have known that he couldn't hide anything from her. She seemed to be able to read him so easily. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was an Empath or a Legilimens. However, he did know better. He knew it was all the talks they'd had that gave her that key into his thought processes and emotional states. Most people would probably be annoyed at that, but Harry wasn't most people. He still found it difficult at times to talk about some things; therefore, to him, her ability to read him was a blessing.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered back. At normal volume, he asked, "Have fun?"

"Yes, we did," Ginny said with a nod, as she stepped back from Harry a little. "We did some shopping and some people-watching. Well, I think Amelie and Raven watched some Muggle boys who were cute." Harry's brows rose at that, giving her a _Do tell_ expression. "Oh, don't worry, Harry," Ginny joked, patting his cheek. "No one compares to you."

Harry, feeling confident in Ginny's affections, playfully said, "Well, you know, Ginny, if you ever do find someone you like better, just say the word. With a little Felix Felicis, I could get lucky a second time. Maybe she'd be another redhead, even. Because, you know, you're so incredibly replaceable."

"Don't even think about it, Potter," Ginny said, frowning, hands on her hips. "You're mine, and I don't share." But then, she laughed, and Harry knew it was all in jest.

"Alright, well, before this conversation devolves into something the rest of us don't particularly want to see, any ideas on where you want to go next? Any place you haven't been to yet?"

Harry grinned at his friend, knowing full well that his and Ginny's banter could have easily done just that as, most of the time, they ended up in a kiss. Taking Ginny's hand, he turned to the others and shrugged in response to Chris' question. After a bit of discussion, they decided to simply wander around and enjoy their afternoon together.

A pleasant couple of hours later, Harry and Ginny returned to school. He had begun to tire. His energy always waned as the moon waxed, and it annoyed him completely, despite Ginny's reassurances. He'd be fine the day before, but that first day of a full moon week, it was like a switch was flipped, and he suddenly didn't have as much energy as he did. He figured it was his body's way of conserving energy for what was to come.

Back at school, Harry sat on one of the sofas with his feet propped up on an ottoman, Ginny cuddled into his side. He didn't need to actually sleep, which was something. That would come later. Harry recounted the story of Chris nearly panicking over Hermione's gift and Hermione doing the same over Chris' gift.

Ginny chuckled. "It's a good experience for her. Who would have thought that things would have turned out like this? I'm glad for them, though. For a year or two, Hermione's kind of had a crush on Ron."

"Ron? Really? I never would have guessed that. I knew Ron fancied Hermione, but they're polar opposites. I've heard people say that opposites attract, but I'm just not sure they would have worked well together. At least, not until Ron controlled his temper and thought before he spoke."

Ginny nodded. "I know. I agree, which is why I'm so glad she and Chris have come together. They're both great people and are alike, but are different too. Chris shares her love of reading and learning, so they can have some pretty in-depth discussions about things, but he doesn't exclude other activities, either. It's like, for him, there's a time for learning and a time for play. That's what Hermione needs, I think – someone to show her when it's time to play."

Harry, impressed with Ginny's insight, said, "You seem to have given this a lot of thought."

Ginny merely shrugged. "Hermione's my friend. I want what's best for her, and right now, it seems like what's best for her is Chris. As much as I hate to say it because he's my brother, but I don't think Ron is the right one for her. I don't think he'll ever be able to change enough to be what she needs. He could prove me wrong, but it may be too late, in any case."

"You think so?"

"I've probably said too much already, but yeah, I do."

"Huh. Interesting. So, what, in your opinion, does Chris get out of it? You've told me what you thought Hermione gets out their relationship, so, what about Chris?"

"Chris gets a pretty girl with the brains to go with it. I think Hermione challenges him, makes him look at things in a different way, and he loves that. He loves being able to talk about random things at length. Let's face it, the rest of us can't keep up with the quick subject changes, or don't care to discuss the intricacies of … whatever."

"True."

Their conversation was interrupted when an eagle owl swooped into the room and landed next to Ginny on the sofa, a package tied to one leg. Once Ginny released the owl from its burden, it hopped up to the back of the sofa and promptly closed its eyes. Harry watched her, curious, as she opened the box. Ginny didn't get packages normally, rarely received any mail at all, for that matter. Before he could ask her about it, she let out a little excited sound, then jumped up and ran for the hallway that led to the girls' dorms. A few minutes later she returned, empty-handed, smiling as brightly as he'd ever seen her.

"What was all that?" he asked her with a little confused chuckle as she sat back down beside him, careful not to disturb the resting owl.

"Oh, nothing. Just your Christmas present."

His interest really piqued now, Harry leaned forward, the corners of his lips curling upwards in a full smile. "Oh, really? Will you give me a hint?"

"Sure," Ginny said, the light in her eyes dancing with her suppressed laughter. "It's small enough to fit in the box it came in."

Harry groaned and fell back against the sofa. "What kind of hint is that?"

"The only kind you're going to get." Ginny giggled and pecked Harry's cheek. "It's only a fortnight away. I think you can handle the suspense." Her expression then turned serious. "So, care to tell me why you looked so sad when we met up again after lunch?"

Harry squirmed a little. "I couldn't help thinking how happy you looked after having spent time with Amelie and Raven and thought that much of your time is spent with me, rather than with them. The thought crossed my mind that you _should_ spend more time with them. I just felt a little guilty about it."

Cupping his face, Ginny pulled him close enough for their noses to almost touch. "Harry, I _do_ spend time with them – more than you seem to think. When you're busy, I'm with them. We've done schoolwork, we've talked, we've played games. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening."

"Okay, now I feel bad for not noticing."

"Don't, Harry. I promise you, I spend enough time with my friends. No more guilt. Okay?"

Harry dropped his forehead to hers. "Yeah, okay. Sorry. I just can't seem to help myself."

"It's the full moon. You get a little moodier than usual. You know that."

One corner of Harry's mouth curled upward. "I do. I'm so thankful you're willing to put up with me."

"When you love someone, you deal with all their little faults, and I do love you, Harry."

"I love you, too, Ginny. More than I thought was possible."

The sound of a rush of students returning from the outing had Harry pulling away from Ginny. The evening was spent with Chris, Amelie, and Raven playing Exploding Snap, as well as playing some Muggle card games that Chris taught them.

0000

A little before noon the following day, while Harry rested from the early morning workout and his pool time, a Tawny Owl alighted on the back of the sofa Harry occupied, a letter attached to its leg. It puffed out its chestnut brown, streaked plumage, shook, then closed its dark eyes. Glancing at Ginny and Chris in confusion mixed with a healthy dose of trepidation, Harry relieved the owl of its burden. He sat staring at the foreign handwriting on the envelope, as if he could determine any magical spells placed on it if he simply concentrated hard enough, not certain if he really wanted to know its contents.

"Maybe you shouldn't open that," Chris cautioned him.

"Let me get Sirius or Miss Lena, Harry," Ginny suggested. "The last time you received a letter from an unknown person …"

Not bothering to respond to either of them, Harry broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the parchment inside. It was another letter as evidenced by the _Dear Harry_ at the top written in a smallish script. Looking to the bottom of the letter to see who had written the letter, Harry gasped at the name. _Lyall Lupin_. A relative of Uncle Remus? Had to be. But why would this person be writing to _him_?

"Harry? What is it? What's wrong? Who's it from? Oh, I knew I should have gone to get Sirius."

"It's … It's from someone named Lyall Lupin." Harry dragged his gaze away from the name at the end of the letter to look up at Ginny. "A relative of Uncle Remus, don't you think? I mean, how many Lupins can there be in the Wizarding world?"

"Probably not many, so I would think this person is a relative, yes. What does the letter say?"

Sheepishly, Harry grinned. "I haven't read it yet." This response made Ginny roll her eyes in exasperation and order him to read the letter, which he did.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I know this letter probably comes as a great surprise to you. Let me introduce myself. My name is Lyall Lupin. Remus was my son. I loved him with all my heart. He was an incredibly sincere and generous child. It's my fault he became a werewolf. It was my ill-chosen words that prompted the attack on him in retaliation for those comments, and I will bear that guilt until the day I die. You see, I once called werewolves 'soulless, evil, and deserving nothing but death'. Needless to say, I'm very ashamed of those words. Not for the retribution they brought on my family, but because I never stopped to think about what I was saying. I never stopped to consider that most werewolves were wizards and witches just like any other wizard or witch._

 _When my own son became afflicted and he remained the sweet boy he always was, my eyes were opened and I began to understand what my thoughts and actions were doing to some. Hope and I, we did our best. We never told anyone of the attack in order to protect Remus. We moved often so that no one would catch on to his secret. Then, Albus Dumbledore came and convinced us he'd be safe at Hogwarts. His first letter home went into great detail about some friends he'd made – Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. In his second year, he wrote home telling us his friends discovered his secret and didn't care at all._

 _I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you all of this and why I've written to you. After he finished Hogwarts, his secret intact, he insisted on 'letting me live in peace'. I think he was afraid of what might happen to me if his secret was made known. I lost all contact with him. Years later, I left the country and traveled all over Europe. I've only recently returned and hoped to rekindle a relationship with my only child. I was grief stricken to learn of his death. That was when I discovered I had a grandson, of sorts. For months I grieved what I had lost and agonized over whether I should bother contacting you. In the end, I decided I had nothing to lose and so much to gain. If you are the least bit interested in getting to know me, send me an owl. I won't pressure you. It has to be your choice. Please think about it._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lyall Lupin_

By the time he'd finished reading the letter, Harry leaned against the back of the sofa, emotionally drained. Shock had quickly turned to anger, then morphed to hatred, which, in turn, gave way to sadness. Absently, he handed the letter to Ginny so she could read it. He tipped his head back so that he stared at the ceiling. Uncle Remus hadn't talked about his parents much, only to say that they'd done their best and had shown him a lot of love. What should he do? Should he respond to the letter? Ignore it?

"Oh, Harry," Ginny breathed. He felt her cuddle up against his side. "What are you thinking?"

Harry let out a huge breath. "I don't know. Should I send a letter back? Should I ignore it?" He ran a hand over his face. "I don't know what to do."

Chris spoke up. "Harry, have you considered the fact that this letter may not be authentic? Maybe whoever wrote this isn't who he says he is. Could Sirius verify any of this information?"

"That's a good idea," Ginny said as she sat up. "Let's take this to Sirius and see what he has to say. Maybe he can do a little investigating and make sure this person is who he claims to be. If he is, then you can decide what to do."

"Okay, let's go."

After getting reassurances that Sirius would look into the person portraying himself as Remus' father, Harry forcefully put it out of his mind so he could concentrate on more important things, like Christmas, the Yule Ball and the Tournament.

 **AN:** I apologize for the long wait. I had to take some time off writing as things just weren't flowing. Finished the chapter I was working on in about a week so I'm back to writing again.


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